Danganronpa - The Murderous Monokuma Mansion! A New Killing Game?
by DantaFanta
Summary: STORY REBOOTED - READ UPDATE. Hayato Hare awakes in Hope's Peak academy alongside 15 other students. Monokuma, the principal, brings them to his 'Monokuma Mansion' to live under his rule. If they want out then they have to kill, which Monokuma is encouraging. Will Hayato and friends escape this murderous mansion? Rated M due to violence, language, and minor sexual content
1. Prologue

Before we begin, I want to thank you for checking out this story. This will be my first Danganronpa fanfiction, and the first fanfiction I am actually serious about.  
While a majority of characters are OCs, there may be a few already existing Danganronpa characters appearing at set points, but who knows.  
Initially, I thought about asking for people to submit their own OCs, however I have decided against it and will create my own. This is so I can get the story started sooner, rather than later. I cannot guarantee frequent release of chapters, though one each week is my goal. Let's see if I can follow through with that.  
Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

 **Prologue - Hope's Peak Academy. A New Beginning**

Hope's Peak Academy. This is the school that everybody dreams of entering, for obvious reasons. It is said that if you are able to graduate from here, then you're pretty much set for life. Of course, it isn't easy to get into. If you wish to get a place, then you'll need to meet two requirements. The first is that you'll need to already be in High School. The second is that you'll need to be among the best in a certain area. The people who meet these conditions become 'Ultimate Students' and are invited to Hope's Peak.

I thought it was a dream come true for me to be here. And here I am. Appearance wise, I'm ordinary, I suppose. I have short brown hair, which is somewhat tidy. As for my clothes, it's nothing that unusual. Black trousers with a blue star on the left leg, black shoes, a white shirt, and a black hoodie with a red star on the hood.

Anyway, my name is Hayato Hare. My special talent? I'm... not sure.

* * *

 **Hayato Hare - Ultimate ?**

* * *

I've forgotten what my talent is. I was so sure of it before I entered the building but...

When I entered the building, I guess I passed out. I had awoke in an empty classroom. After a brief look around, I found a note instructing me to head to the gym. When I had arrived in the gym, I looked around and noticed that 15 other students had already gathered before me.

"Took your time getting here, didn't you." spoke a boy with short, well combed blond hair. He was wearing a black suit, with the jacket buttoned up.

"Give him a break. He probably passed out too." spoke a girl with long pink hair. She appeared to be wearing a maid dress. The girl then approached me. "Am I right?"

"Uh, yeah. That's what happened. I only just woke up." I replied.

"It's the same with us." the girl responded. "To be honest, I only got here moments before you did. I thought I was the last one to arrive, so I was mega embarrassed. Anyway, what's your name?"

It was at this moment I had realised that I had yet to introduce myself. "Oh, I'm Hayato Hare. I'd tell you what my talent is, but I honestly cannot remember at the moment."

"Memories messed up? Can happen." the girl replied. "I'm Sakuya Minakami, and I'm the Ultimate Cosplayer!"

* * *

 **Sakuya Minakami - Ultimate Cosplayer**

* * *

"Cosplay is life and it is important to stay in character when doing so!" Sakuya boldly stated.

The Ultimate Cosplayer, huh? It wouldn't be strange to assume she's in cosplay right now then. I wonder what character she's supposed to be.

"I guess I should introduce myself too." said the well dressed boy. "I am the Ultimate Prince, Lucas Nevermind."

* * *

 **Lucas Nevermind - Ultimate Prince**

* * *

"I have entered this school for the simple reason of that I wish to partake in a normal school life which I can enjoy." Lucas added. "A relative had also encouraged me to do so, so yeah."

The name doesn't sound japanese, so I'm going to assume that he's from another country. Either way, he doesn't speak as fancy as I would have assumed royalty would speak. Guess you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

These two people seemed pretty friendly, so I think we could become good friends quickly. As I thought this, I noticed a girl with long brown hair run towards us. She wore a white shirt with a red ribbon around the collar, with a blue skirt, black tights, and black slip on shoes.

"Oh, I see you've already met Onee-san." said the girl. "I'm Karen Minakami."

* * *

 **Karen Minakami - Ultimate Imaginator**

* * *

"If I have an idea in my mind, then I can easily put it on paper. Drawings, stories, and so on. Though I struggle with it if I can't imagine it..." Karen stated. "While I'm a little shy around others, I do try my best, so I hope we can get along."

Ultimate Imaginator... That's a unique talent. I actually wonder how that one works. She said she had a sister, right? That must be Sakuya.

"Be kind to my younger sister, Hayachii." Sakuya said, as she crept up on me. "If you do anything the hurt her, then you will suffer."

Hayachii? She's already given me a nickname, it appears. Oh well, it doesn't bother me much. "Yeah, noted. But do you expect me to do anything of the sort?"

Sakuya stood in thought for a moment, before responding. "No, I guess not. You do look smart enough. You look cute too..."

I pretended not to hear those last two words, and decided to introduce myself to everyone else.

"..." A boy with short blue hair stared blankly at me. He wore dark blue trousers, and a buttoned up white jacket. "You do not appear to suit my tastes."

* * *

 **Kou Amagi - Ultimate Gourmet**

* * *

"I should mention that I am a gourmet. If you must associate with me, then I shall tell you my name. It is Kou Amagi." he reluctantly commented. "While most gourmet simply rate foods, I rate most things in addition. People and encounters especially."  
I don't think I'll get along well this this guy. I barely had the chance to introduce myself before he walked away, seemingly in disgust.

"You should feel honoured." said a girl with long blonde hair in pigtails as I approached her. Her outfit appeared to be a standard sailor's uniform that is worn by most high school girls, with a blue skirt and pink thigh socks. She did also appear to be wearing a yellow fleece jacket. "For someone as popular as me to give you any attention is a great honour. I am the Ultimate Popular Student."

* * *

 **Michiru Hino - Ultimate Popular Student**

* * *

"Michiru Hino is my name, although if you will talk to me, please refer to me as Michiru-sama." added the so called popular student. "It would be in your best interest to remember that now."  
How she became the Ultimate Popular Student, I will never know.

"Yo! What's up bro?" called out an energetic black haired boy. He wore black trousers with a blue vest shirt, and had a black jacket tied around his waist. "I'm the Ultimate Basketball Player! My name is Naoki Inoue, but my friends call me Naokun."

* * *

 **Naoki Inoue - Ultimate Basketball Player**

* * *

"If you ever feel up to it, I'd love to play against you some time!" Naoki energetically stated. "I think we'll become better friends if we do!"  
He seems cool, but I think I'd feel uncomfortable calling him Naokun considering we only just met.

As I looked around at the others, I could see most people already in conversation with others. I'd feel bad interrupting, so I'll try to talk to those who aren't talking. Upon deciding this, I noticed a a boy with well combed black hair standing on his own. His outfit didn't actually stand out that much though, as he wore what appeared to be a standard male's uniform, with a white shirt, red tie, and black trousers. He appears too generic in my opinions, but I should probably talk to him.

"If you wish to pity me, then stop. I am on my own because I chose to be." he said before I got the chance to speak. "My name is Kyo. My last name is not important right now. My talent, if you cannot tell, is being observant."

* * *

 **Kyo - Ultimate Observer**

* * *

"I am actually here for an important reason." the observer added. "Maybe if you prove that you can be trusted, I'll share it with you."  
As I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but think that maybe he's a little lonely. I should try to get to know him better later.

I then noticed a girl with black hair in a ponytail staring at me. She wore... a red t-shirt and blue shorts. Not only do those clothes not appear to work together, but it's also surprisingly little. As I approached her, I noticed bags under her eyes, though they appeared hidden due to her glasses.

"Sorry if I was... staring." she quietly commented. "I don't get out much... as I'm always online. I'm the Ultimate... Blogger, so I'm always updating my... blog to care about much else. My name... is Nagisa... Sakura."

* * *

 **Nagisa Sakura - Ultimate Blogger**

* * *

"Apologies if I... fall asleep mid... convers..." she started before falling asleep while still standing.  
I should leave her be for now and talk to someone else.

"Hey, you! Kid who won't share his title." called out a guy with dirty blond hair. "Come and settle a debate."

The boy's clothes appeared unique. While he wore a turquoise track suit and a t-shirt, he also appeared to be wearing a blue jacket with the word hope written on the sleeve.

"This guy here says that exercise is for the weak!" he complained. "Can you believe that?!"

"I never said that." replied another boy, who had fiery red hair. He wore a plain white t-shirt with a red flower picture on the back, with red trousers that seemed a little too big for him. He also wore an obviously fake black moustache. "I just said why waste your time exercising when you can not give a shit about some dumb motivator who gives too many shits."

"Well right now, I'm motivated to kick your ass!" replied the other boy, who was now annoyed.

"Hey, calm down! Let's talk things over." I intervened. "How about we just introduce ourselves first? I'm Hayato Hare."

The dirty blond haired boy sighed. "Yeah, okay. I'm Yosuke Flar, the Ultimate Motivator."

* * *

 **Yosuke Flar - Ultimate Motivator**

* * *

If I recall correctly, he's known as the Ultimate Motivator because he can motivate most people to do anything within reason. Usually this is exercise, but I hear he even motivated someone who was considering suicide to keep living. Quite impressive, if you ask me.

"Well that explains the attitude." joked the red headed boy. "My name is Yaru Hamato."

Before we could reply to that, he burst out laughing.

"Sorry, sorry! I messed that up. It's Haru Yamato! Wow, jokes on me I guess!" he laughed.

"What are you? Some sort of joke maker?" I asked, slightly worried.

"Kind of, yeah." he replied. "Ultimate Trickster to be exact."

* * *

 **Haru Yamato - Ultimate Trickster**

* * *

"I love jokes and tricks. I practically live for them." the trickster added. "I apologise for what I said earlier, anyway. I was only messing around."

The Ultimate Motivator sighed and responded to this with. "That's okay, I may have overreacted, anyway."

Feeling relieved that I managed to avert a fight, I looked around and noticed the last people I needed to introduce myself to were already gathered in a small group.

Upon confirming that Haru and Yosuke were getting along still, I decided to introduce myself to the last few people.

"Hey, I'm Hayato Hare. It's nice to meet all of you." I greeted the group of five.

"Hello there Mr Hare." replied a well dressed boy with tidy brown hair. He wore a black suit, a white shirt, red tie, and had white gloves on. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yu Hayase. I am the Ultimate Musical Conductor."

* * *

 **Yu Hayase - Ultimate Musical Conductor**

* * *

"You should probably ignore him. He gets a little too polite at times. It's almost creepy." replied a girl with long black hair with pink highlights on each side. She wore a long brown skirt, with a green shirt and black jacket.

"While Ms Saito sounds rude, she is correct." Yu stated. "I am a little too polite in certain cases."

"So, I'm Yuki Saito!" the girl introduced herself, completely ignoring Yu. "The Ultimate Hacker! And no, I did not hack my way into the school's system!"

* * *

 **Yuki Saito - Ultimate Hacker**

* * *

I was curious as to whether the Ultimate Hacker hacked their way into the system, but I guess I didn't need to ask. Still, something about her does seem odd...

"As weird as it seems, me and Yuuyu are childhood friends." Yuki added. "Weird, right? We're so different!"

"I think you've spoke for long enough." the other boy of the group impatiently stated. "I would also like to introduce myself."

This boy had a somewhat feminine appearance, with brown hair at a short length. He wore a black shirt, with black trousers, and a white apron.

"Well sorry." Yuki reluctantly replied. "Go ahead and speak."

"I am Mamoru Kurosawa. The Ultimate Painter." he introduced. "Despite me somewhat feminine looks, I am in fact male."

* * *

 **Mamoru Kurosawa - Ultimate Painter**

* * *

"But I am not like most males." Mamoru quickly added. "For I have little interest in getting a girlfriend."

"Too busy focusing on other stuff to be concerned with a relationship?" I asked, curious as to what he meant.

"No, for I am instead..." the Artist replied, "Looking for a boyfriend. Care to volunteer?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, in confusion as to what I had just heard.

Mamoru laughed at my reaction. "Don't worry. I was just joking. You'd bound to say no. I can tell that you're not into other guys."

"Uh, right..." I responded, still in disbelief.

"If anyone gets him as a boyfriend, it'll be me." a girl with long blonde hair. "Remember me, Hayato?"

She wore a pink dress, with knee high pink and black striped socks, and a black jacket. She also had a pink hair clip in her hair. If I recall correctly, she's...

"Yeah, we went to the same high school before coming here." I replied. "Kiyomi Sora, right?"

"Right!" she responded. "I'm glad we got to meet again here! I've been interested in you for a while!"

Upon hearing those words, I could feel my face getting red. We didn't speak much before we got here, though I did notice her sneaking a peak at me every now and then. If I recall correctly, she worked part-time as a Voice Actress, so that makes her the...

"Ultimate Voice Actress." she said, as if finishing my thought. "That's my talent, in case you couldn't remember."

* * *

 **Kiyomi Sora - Ultimate Voice Actress**

* * *

"Either way, it's good to see someone I already know being here." she added. "Anyway, think about what I said."

I stood there confused for a moment. What is she referring to?

"You two stop flirting." said the last girl in the group. "It's slightly painful to watch."

I turned to face her and noticed that she had short brown hair, with brink pink hair clips in at both sides. If the pink hair clips didn't stand out enough, then the bright pink t-shirt she was wearing certainly did. She was also wearing white trousers, and appeared to be holding a pink wand.

"And what about out flirting is painful?" Kiyomi asked, slightly annoyed by her interruption.

"The fact that you're flirting with someone who would make an excellent addition to my collection." the girl responded.

"Collection?" I asked, in confusion.

"Ah yes. I am the Ultimate Collector!" she proudly responded. "I have a great collection of things. They are mostly anime related, although I have always wanted to have a real life human boy as part of my collection!"

I stood there in silence for a moment.

"Oh, and I guess I should introduce myself, if you'll be part of my collection." she added. "I am Kaede Ichinose! But you can just call me Master!"

* * *

 **Kaede Ichinose - Ultimate Collector**

* * *

Before I could even respond to that, Kiyomi had already started an argument with her. I must say, it feels a little awkward to have two girls fighting over me. Maybe I should put a stop to this...

"Women, am I right?" Mamoru asked. "We'd be better without them, don't you think? That is why you should date me instead."

Before I could respond to _that_ , both Kiyomi and Kaede appeared to have called a temporary truce to knock out Mamoru, before resuming their argument.

"Well this became awkward." Yuki commented. "But do you know what's more awkward?"

Without giving me a chance to answer, she answered her own question.

"The fact that we've all been here for 15 minutes and no teachers have even arrived yet."

"Yes, that is peculiar." added Yu. "Ordinarily, I'd consider this nothing, however the metal plates I noticed on each window have made me concerned."

Now that he mentions it, I did recall seeing metal plates installed onto the windows of the classroom I awoke in. I wonder why those were there.

"Apologies for being late everyone!"

As if on cue, we heard a voice coming from a podium near the back. What showed up next, was a... teddy bear?

This teddy bear appeared to have two sides. On the right, he was white in colour. For the facial features on this side, it was that of a normal teddy bear. On his left side, however, he was black in colour. The face was also different, having a wide grin and a red slash for an eye. The only consistent parts of his body were the muzzle and tummy areas, which were white on both sides.

"Who are you exactly?" I heard Lucas call out to the bear.

"Me? I'm your school's Principal." the bear responded. "The name is Monokuma!"

All of us looked around in confusion. What is this bear's deal? Is this a prank? Why is this happening? Those were just a few questions I overheard among the students.

"So before you ask, YES this is Hope's Peak Academy." Monokuma responded. "NO, this is not a prank. Anyway, let's get a few things straight. You will live your life peacefully with the company of each other, proving you don't break the rules. That's all I'll say for now, because we've got to get going."

"Where to, exactly?" Kyo called out.

"To your new homes." Monokuma eerily responded.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

So that's the prologue done! I decided to keep the story in first person for now, although when the POV isn't Hayato, then they'll be third person.

If you have any feedback, please let me know in the reviews. Any feedback will be appreciated. And for those curious, I have a basic idea on how the murders will take place and who the victims and killers will be. I only really have Danganronpa 1 to go on, as I'm trying to stay spoiler free for Danganronpa 2 until I can get the game for myself.

Anyway, see you soon for Chapter 1 start. It may sooner than in a week. I'm not sure.

EDIT: Few small changes to the introductions. Will make more later.  
Noteworthy updates:  
Karen Minakami's talent - Changed from 'Creator' to 'Imaginator'.  
Mamoru Kurosawa's talent - Changed from 'Artist' to 'Painter'.


	2. Chapter 1 - Divided We Fall - Act 1

**Chapter 1:** **Divided We Fall** **(Daily Life) - Act 1**

Without realising it, I had appeared to have passed out during Monokuma's speech. All I remember is him mentioning something about a new home... then nothing. I stood up and looked around. Surprisingly, it seemed that everyone else had the same thing happen to them.

"What just happened?" Sakuya asked, as she helped her sister stand up.

"All of us appeared to have passed out at once." Kyo responded. "Most peculiar, if you ask me. It's almost like we were drugged."

"Or gassed." Monokuma added, appearing out of nowhere next to me. "Why did that darned Monokuma do that to us?"

"Good question..." Naoki responded, unaware that he was answering the bear's question. "Man, I wish he'd give us some answers!"

"I'll give you some answers if you ask the relevant questions." Monokuma stated, walking over to the front of the group.

"I suppose a good starting question would be..." Kyo started speaking. "Where are we?"

Although confused by this question at first, I quickly realised that we were no longer in Hope's Peak Academy as I took a quick look around. It seemed like we were in some kind of... mansion?

"Well, no point in hiding it any longer." Monokuma chuckled. "Welcome to the Monokuma Mansion! This will be your new home!"

"I'm assuming there was a problem with being in the academy?" Kyo quickly asked as a follow up.

"Yeah, well, there were a few reasons - mostly technical - but mostly it's because I want you guys to feel like at home." Monokuma responded, almost kindly. "So before we start, let me set a few rules!"

"Before we start _what_ exactly?" Lucas asked, having that single comment stand out most to him.

"I'll get to that." Monokuma replied. "But first, take out your e-handbooks from your pockets. I placed them there while you were all in snoozeville."

Following Monokuma's instruction, we reached into our pockets and found a small electronic tablet-like device as promised. As I turned mine on, I noticed that it displayed my name upon loading, before sending me to a menu.

"If you will check the School Regulations tab, it will display the school's rules. Or to be more specific, the Mansion's rules!" Monokuma announced, as he waited for everyone to do as he asked. "Rule 1! Students may reside only in the Mansion. Leaving the Monokuma Mansion is strictly prohibited."

Sure enough, that was written there. The other rules were as followed:

 **Rule 2 - "Nighttime" is from 10pm to 7am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.**

 **Rule 3 - Sleeping anywhere other than a bedroom will be seen as sleeping in class and will be punished accordingly.**

 **Rule 4 - With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the Monokuma Mansion at your discretion.**

 **Rule 5 - Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of our surveillance cameras.**

 **Rule 6 - Anyone who kills a fellow student will become "blackened" and will graduate, unless they are discovered.**

 **Rule 7 - Additional Monokuma Mansion rules may be added if necessary.**

"Cameras?" Yuki asked, curiously. "So you're spying on us?"

Monokuma nodded. "Upupupupu... Do you really think you'd get that much privacy? Anyway! I need to be aware of any rule-breakers!"

"What about rule 6?" asked Yu. "The one about being 'blackened'? Are you saying we have to murder each other?"

"I'm not saying you _should_. But I'm also not saying you _shouldn't_." Monokuma responded with a grin. "But if you can kill another student, then I'll unlock the steel doors at the entrance and allow you to leave."

"But what if we don't want to kill anyone else?" I asked, with a hint of fear in my voice.

Monokuma stood there for a moment in silence before responding. "Then don't. You'll be forced to stay here for the rest of your life. It's not a bad deal, if you want me to be honest."

Everyone began chatting amongst themselves about these rules Monokuma threw at us, save for me and Kyo.

"Something about this feels... off." Kyo whispered to me.

"What part?" I jokingly responded.

"What would the mastermind behind this have to gain from keeping us in here?" Kyo continued. "And why here, and not Hope's Peak?"

He made a good point. Why here?

"Well, that's all for now. There's a map on your e-handbooks if you get lost." Monokuma concluded. "Not all of the building is open to you at the moment, I should mention. Anyway, have a look around and enjoy your new lives here!"

With that, Monokuma jumped into a passage in the floor and left us.

"Well then!" Yosuke shouted. "I guess we should look around this place if we are to be living here from now on."

"Mr Flar makes a good point." Yu commented. "But I believe it would be best for nobody to travel alone for this."

"Why do you say that, Yuuyu?" Yuki asked.

"You all heard Monokuma. If we want to leave, then we have to kill." Yu elaborated. "If someone were to be considering murder, then it would certainly make it difficult to do so if none of us were to be on our own."

"Well that's a dumb idea. What if someone were to just kill the person they were travelling with?" Sakuya didn't seem to like this idea. "We should all stay in a large group! That way, nobody would have the chance to kill!"

"No, Yu has a point." Kyo argued. "Not only will we cover more grounds in less time be travelling in pairs or a small group, but we'll also have an idea of who committed the crime if one does occur."

"I don't follow." Sakuya responded.

"What I'm saying, is that say for example, Mr Hare and Ms Ichinose were to travel in a pair, and then we found Mr Hare dead." Yu explained. "That would make Ms Ichinose the prime suspect considering that she was the only one around Mr Hare before he was killed."

"Thanks for using me as an example..." I responded, feeling down by him assuming I'd be the first to get killed off.

"Like I said, it was only an example." Yu reminded. "Anyway, considering that there are sixteen of us, I'd say four groups of four shall do nicely."

"If that is the case, I request the three most handsome and loyal males of the group to join me." requested Michiru. "I prefer to work alongside a harem of men who will do as I command."

"Denied." Kou rejected this request as soon as he could. "You have no right to make me part of your meal."

Meal? I have no idea what this guy is talking about...

"Don't flatter yourself." mocked the Ultimate Popular Student. "You don't even make top ten of the guys here. And there aren't even ten guys here."

"So who would you put in your top three here?" Yosuke curiously asked.

"Not you, if that's what you're asking." Michiru responded. "It would be Hayato, Lucas and Kyo. Mostly because they're the hottest."

"Okay, so it's settled then." Kiyomi announced. "Hayato, Lucas and Kyo will not be in the same group as the Ultimate Bitch."

"I certainly hope you're not referring to me by saying 'Ultimate Bitch'." Michiru coldly yelled.

"Well who else would she be referring to?" Kou rhetorically asked this question directly to Michiru.

An awkward atmosphere had formed in the room because of Michiru's request, so I felt relieved when I noticed Sakuya, Karen and Lucas walk over to talk to me.

"This will take some time to settle, so in the meantime I think the four of us should begin our search, don't you think Hayato?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, sounds good to me." I responded, eager to get away from the arguments between Michiru, Kiyomi and Kou.

"Okay, well us four are going to go start the investigation!" Sakuya called out, as we began to walk up the nearby staircase. "We should all meet back up here in an hour."

"Sounds good." Yosuke responded. "Yu, Kaede, Yuki! You three are with me!"

"In that case, Kyo, Nagisa and Naoki are with me." Haru added. "That leaves the teams sorted."

Everyone appeared okay with these teams, except for Mamoru.

"You're partnering me with the kids?" the Painter asked with disappointment.

The three who were arguing still hadn't taken notice of what was going on.

"If anyone can handle it, it's you." reassured Yosuke, as he lead his group towards the kitchen area.

"Try to get some work done at least, okay?" joked Haru, as he lead his group towards the living room area.

At this moment, I decided to stop watching the conversations and catch up with my group.

* * *

The four of us began to check out the second floor of the Mansion. Something seemed off about it though. It appeared that there were roughly five floors to this building in total, yet any rooms above the first two were inaccessible, due to the hallways being blocked off by metal gates.

"On the left hand side appear to be the bedrooms." Sakuya called out. "I guess we now know where we have to sleep!"

"Each of the rooms have name plates and pixelated images of us on the doors." Karen added. "I guess this shows us where each of our rooms are."

"At least there's something noteworthy on this floor." Lucas stated with relief. "The right hand side has another blocked off hallway."

"So aside from the first floor, the only other place we can access is the bedrooms on the second floor." I commented. "I hope the others have had better luck with their investigations."

"Investigations? Sounds ominous..." Sakuya joked. "Sounds almost like we're looking around a crime scene."

"Well it's not far from it. We have all been kidnapped." Lucas reminded us.

Silence surrounded us for a few moments. That's right. We _were_ kidnapped. I remembered Kyo's words from earlier.

 ** _"Something about this feels... off." Kyo whispered to me._**

 ** _"What part?" I jokingly responded._**

 ** _"What would the mastermind behind this have to gain from keeping us in here?" Kyo continued. "And why here, and not Hope's Peak?"_**

"Why bring us here, and not leave us in Hope's Peak?" I questioned. "It doesn't make sense. Locking us in a school is one thing, but taking us to a mysterious mansion is another..."

"Yes. This certainly is a strange situation." Lucas replied. "Honestly though, do you think anyone would be desperate enough to kill to get out of here?"

"I certainly hope not." Sakuya responded. "But you'll never know how desperate some people can get until it's too late."

"I know that feeling." the Prince commented. "I grew so tired of my life back in my home country, I fled here in hopes of living a more normal life."

Sakuya appeared confused at first, but then realised what he was talking about. "Oh yeah, you're the Ultimate Prince. So were you destined to rule your country?"

A smiled appeared across Lucas's face, as he recalled his life before Hope's Peak. "I was the second born in my family, so even though I wouldn't be the first to the throne after my parents, I would still need to guide my family. Life was good, aside from the fact that I had no real friends. The only friend I really had was my older sister, though she was always busy with her duties as the next to the throne, so we barely spent any time together."

"So how's your sister doing now?" I asked, curious.

Lucas thought for a moment. "Hopefully she's fine. She moved to Japan a few years back, and was invited into Hope's Peak last year as the Ultimate Princess. With her gone, I naturally had to fulfill her duties to the throne. Eventually I grew tired of it too, and left for Japan, before being invited to Hope's Peak myself. I had hopes to reunite with her considering we would attend the same school, but now... I just wish we both stayed in or home country."

I could hear a hint of sadness in Lucas's voice, so after a few moments of silence, I thought about changing the subject, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Hey, isn't it almost time to meet up with the others?" Karen called out.

"Ah, yes. You are right. We should get going." Lucas responded, looking at his watch.

Good job Karen! Lucas's expression returned to normal.

* * *

After waiting a few minutes in the dining room, everybody had showed up. Unsurprisingly, the group of Mamoru, Michiru, Kou and Kiyomi were the last to show.

"Now that we're all here, let us share our findings!" Yosuke called out. "Hayato. Your group shall go first."

Sakuya and I both shared our findings with everyone, including what we noticed about the other floors.

"That means sleeping arrangements are no problemo." Naoki commented. "And that explains the key I found in my pocket too!"

When searching for my e-handbook earlier, I did find a key in my pocket. That would make sense if it were to be my room key.

"I'm more concerned about the locked hallways." Yuki added her thoughts. "If they're electronic, I'll just need to find an access point and I could open them for us."

Yu sighed at her comment. "I think the Mastermind would be smarter than to give us a way to open them on our own."

"On the topic of metal gates, we found a few ourselves." Kyo added.

"Oh yeah!" Noaki remembered. "Another side of the building was blocked off by them!"

"And what appears... to be a basement is... blocked off... too." Nagisa quietly added, almost falling asleep again.

"The only other thing we found was a living room. Complete with sofas, lamps, and a fireplace. Even a few tables with some games to play if we're bored." Haru shared. "I guess if someone died in there, it would be the un-living room though."

Ignoring Haru's... joke, Yosuke shared what his team found. "Naturally, we found this dining room. This would be the best place to eat our meals in each day. Actually, we should meet here every morning once nighttime is over!"

"And why exactly would we do that?" Michiru asked, coldly. "It only seems like a hassle."

"Well, it would be nice to know is everyone is still... doing okay." Yosuke responded. "It would also give us a chance to share opinions and thoughts on how to escape this place!"

"Moving on..." Yuki interrupted. "There's a kitchen in the next room over."

"We also don't have to worry about food, because it gets restocked on a daily basis." Yu added.

"How do you know that?" Mamoru asked.

"Monokuma showed up and told us." Yuki quickly replied.

"There was also another room attached to the kitchen, but it was locked off too." Kaede concluded. "And that's about all we found."

"Team Children and Mamoru!" Yosuke called out. "What did you find."

"Not much." Mamoru responded. "The three kids I had to babysit argued the whole time."

"They started it." Kou, Kiyomi and Michiru all replied in unison.

"Well, what we did find..." Mamoru recalled, "The front door was, like, a metal reinforced door. A few cupboards nearby, but nothing major. I think there was also a specific box for post, but it was empty."

"Was that everything you found?" Lucas asked.

Mamoru shook his head. "There was something else. Near the staircase was a shop."

"A shop?" I asked, slightly confused as to why this would be here.

"Yeah, a shop." Mamoru repeated. "Monokuma said that most things there are for display, but we can take what we want for free."

"Then what makes it a shop, exactly?" Yuki asked, slightly disappointed by the findings.

"There's a machine called the Monomono Machine." Mamoru responded. "By using Monokuma coins scattered around the building, we can win various prizes. The coins are freshly hidden around each day, according to Monokuma."

"Right, that is... useful. Probably." Yosuke said, satisfied with the findings. "Is that all?"

With a unanimous yes among everyone, we all sat there for a moment and thought about what to do next. Before long, an announcement came on, with Monokuma appearing on a nearby TV.

"May I have your attention? The time is now 10pm, meaning it is officially Nighttime!" Monokuma called out. "Please return to your rooms as soon as possible. Though no worries if you want to stay out later. I just thought you might be tired. Anyway, the doors to the dining area will soon be locked, with entry after that being strictly prohibited. And with that, I wish you all a good night."

With that, the TV switched off, and we were back to silence.

"You heard the bear. We should leave before getting locked in." Yosuke commented, standing up. "I think we should all meet back here tomorrow at 7am! That way we will be able to discuss a means of escape!"

Although a few people disliked this idea, we all agreed and parted ways when we got to our rooms. Before I could go into mine, I heard someone call my name.

"Kiyomi?" I asked.

"Hey Hayato." she nervously responded. "So... what's your answer?"

"My... answer?" I asked, unaware as to what she meant.

"Geez... I told you to think about it earlier!" she responded, as if she were annoyed.

"Oh, that." I remembered. "I didn't understand what you wanted me to think about."

"I said ' _If anyone gets you as a boyfriend, it'll be me._ ' Did I not?" the voice actor reminded. "What is your response to that?"

I stood there shocked for a moment. Was she actually asking me to be her boyfriend?

"Nevermind." she commented. "You can give me the answer tomorrow. Goodnight, Hayato my love!"

And with that, she ran into her own room.

* * *

As I entered my own room, I took a quick look around. It appeared normal, with a desk, set of draws and wardrobe in the areas you'd expect them to be, a bed near the wall in the center of the room, and a door leading to a bathroom containing a toilet, sink and shower. Naturally, there was a camera and miniature TV on the walls too, as with every room in the building.

Suddenly, the TV switched on and Monokuma appeared on the screen.

"Apologies for the announcement, but as you are all awake, I should alert you all to some features of your rooms." announced the bear. "Firstly, no water will run during nighttime. This is so you cannot use this to your advantage should you commit a murder, but also because we don't want to wast water now, do we? Also, only the bathroom doors in the girls rooms will have locks. Lastly, in the drawers, you shall find a toolkit if you are a boy, and a sewing kit if you are a girl. They are all unused and therefore unopened. For the sewing kits, a diagram of the human body is shown with labels of the best places to stab if you're aiming to kill is provided. That is all. Goodnight!"

And with that, the monitor turned off. No water huh? Guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to shower. Before heading to bed though, I decided to check the drawers, and sure enough, I found the toolkit Monokuma mentioned. I have no need for this, so i'll just put it back for now.

In the wardrobe, were all of my belongings that I brought with me to Hope's Peak. At least Monokuma brought them here for us, so that's something good. Not wanting to unpack yet, I changed into my pyjamas and lay in bed.

As I stared at the ceiling, I recalled what had happened today. Being trapped in this mansion. Forced to kill if we want to leave. Kiyomi asking me out. I blushed when I recalled that last one.

"Guess she'll ask me about that again tomorrow." I said to myself. "What should I say to her though?"

Having the Ultimate Voice Actor as a girlfriend would be nice. I can tell that she's had a crush on me for a while, too. Maybe I should say yes...

With these thoughts in my head, I closed my eyes and decided to go to sleep. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

So that's Chapter 1 Act 1! Something I should address is that I am from England, so I am using the British English (naturally). When the characters are speaking, I probably won't stick with British English, and I'll use the language that would fit the setting of Japan a bit more (as I did with referring to the floors as first and second, rather than ground and first) though I'll try to stay consistent with this.

As previously stated, I am aiming for at least one chapter a week (probably on weekends) but if I feel like writing sooner, then I will. Chapter 1 Act 1 was posted so soon after the prologue because I wanted to get the story started sooner. And yes, Lucas is supposed to be Sonia's brother. While I haven't played DR2, I do know about the characters and their affiliations, so I'm going to make at least some references. Maybe in a few acts time I'll have played the game and could reference it a bit more. Who knows.

Anyway, next act will be sometime before next Saturday, hopefully.


	3. Chapter 1 - Divided We Fall - Act 2

**Chapter 1:** **Divided We Fall** **(Daily Life) - Act 2**

"Good morning everyone! It is now 7am, meaning Nighttime is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

I was quickly awakened by a morning announcement by Monokuma. While I'd have liked to sleep in a little more, at least he's telling us that it's morning. We wouldn't be able to tell by looking outside, as all of the windows are blocked off by metal plates.

Remembering the agreement we had all made yesterday, I quickly got dressed into my normal clothes, and headed towards the dining room. It was only about 7:05, and it appeared that Lucas, Yosuke, Michiru, Kou and Kyo were already waiting.

"Five past seven is still a good time to show. It's expected for some people to take a little bit of time to get ready." Yosuke commented. "I just hope everyone shows up."

Following not long after me, were Sakuya and Karen. Within a few minutes, followed Yuki and Yu.

By 7:15, Haru, Mamoru, Kaede and Kiyomi had arrived.

"Is that everyone?" Haru asked. "Should we start the meating? I'd love some chicken."

Ignoring Haru's terrible joke, Yosuke looked around. "We appear to be missing Nagisa and Naoki."

"Ms Sakura might still be sleeping, judging by how tired she looked yesterday. As for Mr Inoue, maybe he's just lazy?" Yu responded. "Perhaps someone should go and fetch them?"

"Don't worry about it. We're here..." called out Naoki, who was letting out a yawn. Following him was Nagisa, who still looked really tired.

"And why are you two so late?" Yosuke asked. "It's almost half seven!"

"Sorry, I couldn't get out of bed." Naoki replied, sitting down at the table.

"I... almost slept through the... announcement." Nagisa added.

Although I could see a hint of anger on Yosuke's face, I could also tell that he was relieved that everybody was still fine. With how he's been acting, it's almost like he's our leader.

"Anyway, onto business!" Yosuke exclaimed. "We should discuss what to do next."

"Isn't it obvious?" responded Yu. "We should find a way out of here as soon as we can. Prove that Monokuma has no control over us."

"I disagree. The bear wouldn't be foolish enough to leave a way out for us, unless he intends for us to leave." Lucas responded. "We should stay here and abide by the rules. Monokuma will provide us a means of escape when he feels like giving one to us. In the meantime, we can live just fine in here."

"Yeah, that's true. There are enough supplies to last for a while." added Kaede. "And we have no idea where we are. Leaving is one thing, finding our way home is another. It would be better to stay here as a single collection."

"So you're willing to just accept life in here?!" responded and angry Yuki.

"No... It's just..." Kaede began, in shock to Yuki's response.

"Honestly, I think Lucas has the right idea." Yosuke shared his opinion. "And as leader, I think that..."

"Who made you leader?" Kou asked, seemingly agitated.

"Me." the Motivator responded. "I didn't see anyone else stepping up, so I did."

I looked around. I could tell that a few people, namely Lucas and Kaede, seemed okay with Yosuke being the leader. Some people, however, such as Kou and Yuki, disliked his self-nomination. Within moments, and argument had uproared among most of the people gathered. While some agreed that Yosuke would make a great leader, some people felt like they were better for the job.

"You couldn't make the right decisions even if they were the most logical choice." argued Kou. "I would be a superior choice."

"Yeah right. You couldn't lead balls." Naoki commented. "Yosuke's the Ultimate Motivator, so it sounds like he has experience as a leader. Probably."

"I'd volunteer myself, however I feel like that would require me putting effort into this, so I shall stay with Yosuke as the leader." Michiru added.

"How about a democracy?" Haru suggested. "We make our own decisions, so nobody has to take the lead." Upon saying that, he held up a pencil lead. Was he trying to be funny? Because I think he failed miserably.

In total, fifteen minutes had passed before the argument had almost been settled. By this point, the arguments were about whether or not Yosuke or Kou would make the better leaders.

"That's enough! Everybody just shut up!" Kou demanded.

Following his demand, everybody quickly silenced.

"How about this. Those who wish to find a way to escape shall be part of my team, while the idiots who wish to stay will follow Yosuke." Kou concluded. "So. Who is with me?"

As he said this, he walked over to the doorway. Following him, were Yu, Yuki, Haru, Mamoru, Sakuya, Karen and Nagisa.

Remaining seated, we me, Kiyomi, Lucas, Michiru, Naoki, Kaede, and Kyo. Yosuke remained standing by the end of the table.

"So it appears to be settled." Kou commented. "The people with a brain shall follow me and try to find a way to escape. The rest of you will be left to play tea party, or whatever Yosuke will have you do."

With those words, Kou lead his group out of the room.

The eight of us who remained sat in silence for a bit, before Yosuke spoke up. "Those of you who remained, thank you for allowing me to be the leader."

"Like you said, it's not like anyone else stepped forward." Lucas responded. "Nobody trustworthy, anyway."

"Yes, well..." Yosuke continued. "For starters, I think we should all share our opinions on this situation. Like, who do you think the mastermind is? Or why did the mastermind bring us here?"

Although there was silence for a moment, Kyo eventually shared his thoughts. "It's possible that the Mastermind is or once was a student at Hope's Peak. It would explain their manipulation over the circumstances of our arrival."

"Oh, you must mean the whole passing out, empty classroom, sealed windows thing, right?" Kiyomi asked.

Kyo nodded in approval. "Correct."

"But what makes you sure it's a student?" I asked.

"With all of the Ultimates in the school, one would be bound to have a major influence over enough individuals to pull off something of this sort." Kyo elaborated.

Although Yosuke appeared to agree with the thought of the Ultimate Observer, something was still on his mind. "While that makes sense, we still need to determine who it is."

"My best guess would be someone with a unique ability." Kyo continued. "For example, the Ultimate Psychic."

"Ultimate... Psychic?" I asked, confused by this. Is there really such a person?

"Correct. The Ultimate Psychic." Kyo responded. "I have had a few encounters with the person in question, and their abilities are not to be taken lightly. It would be possible for them to be operating this from behind the shadows."

"Question!" Kiyomi called out, raising her hand. "What kind of powers does this Ultimate Psychic have?"

"From what I know..." Kyo began. "Mind reading, future prediction, and basic control of surroundings."

"Telekinesis, basically." Lucas translated the final one to those who were confused.

"Someone with powers like that _would_ make a good mastermind..." Yosuke stated.

"Of course, I can be wrong." Kyo reminded. "There's not much evidence to support this theory."

Discussions on each person's opinion on the situation continued for the next half hour or so. While Kyo's theory was the best, I did think Lucas's thought on it being a test to figure out how we'd each cope in a situation like this to be interesting. I hope it is true, as that means the Mastermind would stop any murders from occurring - although it does seem doubtful. Following this discussion, we had realised that we had yet to have breakfast, so Kiyomi and Kyo agreed to prepare something for the eight of us.

"Man, this is good!" Naoki yelled, as he stuffed the food into his mouth.

"To be fair, Kyo did most of the work." Kiyomi mentioned. "All I did was prepare the rice."

"I've spent much time overseas, so I learned a few things through my various observations." Kyo responded.

Finishing what he was eating, Yosuke spoke up. "That's a point. How did you become the Ultimate Observer?"

"I suppose there's no need to hide it." Kyo responded. "I was raised apart from my birth family my whole life. The people who took me in had connections to this school, so they spent their time trying to learn of the Ultimate talents hidden inside the children they raised. It was there I learned of my talent of observation, and so I studied overseas for a while to help me enhance this talent."

"So is that why you don't know your last name?" I asked, wondering if this was why he neglected to tell us.

Kyo shook his head. "No. I just simply chose not to share it with anyone."

"So... what is your last name?" asked a curious Kaede.

"Irrelevant information at this point in time." Kyo coldly responded.

"Putting his past aside..." Michiru called out, trying to turn the attention over to her. "I request a hot drink."

Lucas looked over to her. "And you are telling us this because?"

"I am thirsty." the Popular Student replied. "So somebody please fetch me some coffee. Or tea. I'm not _that_ picky."

Without any hesitation, Naoki agreed to fulfil this request and rushed over to the kitchen. After a few minutes, he had returned with a cup of tea, and handed it to Michiru.

As Michiru began drinking the cup of tea, she remained silent and expressionless. She then placed down the cup onto the table. "If this is your best efforts, then you should just kill yourself already."

"Ah! I'm sorry Hino-sama!" Naoki responded in a panic. "I'll do better next time!"

As if a servant, he dropped to the floor and began to beg for forgiveness.

"On that note, I think now's a good time to end our meeting." Yosuke interrupted the awkwardness with his statement. "You may all go on with your business for the rest of the day."

With that, Yosuke, Kaede, Mamoru (who had remained surprisingly silent the whole time), and Kyo all left the room. Michiru seemed to have plans to have Naoki serve her for the rest of the day, so the two of them remained in the room.

As I began to leave the room, Kiyomi began walking beside me.

"You given it any thought yet?" she asked, eagerly.

Although confused for a moment, I quickly remembered our conversation from the previous night.

"Oh... uh..." I responded, at a loss for words.

Silence surrounded us for a few seconds, before tears began to form in her eyes.

"Yeah, I thought you'd reject me. I'm too good for you, or something like that?" she responded, trying to hold back tears. "Ever since we first met, I've been in love with you..."

Since we first met? Yeah... I remember that day. It was on the first day at our old high school, before coming here. We had met by chance, with both of us running late to the opening ceremony. I know, it's cliche, but that's what happened. We got to talking for a bit, but nothing else really happened. We also had minimal encounters following that, despite being in the same class, although I could always tell she was watching me. I just didn't say anything, because I didn't know what to say.

"I began watching you in class and while in school whenever I saw you, but became too nervous to do anything more." Kiyomi explained. "Your kindness towards everyone stood out the most. The feeling in my heart... I knew it was love! So please, be my boyfriend!"

I'm at a loss for words. After hearing that, I don't think I can say no...

"Well... sure." I responded, unaware as to what to say. "I guess I don't mind, even within these circumstances."

With that response, Kiyomi's tears disappeared and she returned to normal. "Great! That makes me so happy!"

Crocodile tears?! She was faking the tears the whole time it seems... Well played, Kiyomi.

"I guess that means we should go on a date!" Kiyomi exclaimed, with happiness. "But where to..."

That's right. There aren't many places to go to currently. There's the kitchen, dining room, shop, bedrooms, and living room. Not much to do with those...

"Upupupupu..."

That voice. It's...

"Monokuma, at your service!" Monokuma called out, jumping up from behind us.

"What do you want?" Kiyomi coldly asked the bear. "I'm trying to plan a date with my new boyfriend."

Boyfriend... it's weird to hear myself be called that.

"That's actually why I'm here!" Monokuma replied. "I am here to offer a solution! Ta-da!"

In his hand... err... paw, were two tickets.

"I've handed them out to some of the others already, but these will provide you with a one time visit to any area in the building so you can just relax! You can go with one person of choice, but not on your own. That will just be sad." Monokuma explained. "The first one is free, but any more will cost... one hundred Monokuma coins! If you want to keep having fun, then you better get saving!"

As we each took a ticket, a smile appeared on Kiyomi's face.

"So we can go on a date anytime we like?" Kiyomi asked.

"I'm flattered, really, but I'm not into you." Monokuma responded. "Upupupupu... Just kidding! I know you didn't mean me. But, yeah. That's it. Personally, I'd recommend the greenhouse. Full of plant life, a make-shift sunlight, and the perfect place to have a picnic!"

This seems too good to be true...

"What's the catch?" I asked the bear.

"No catch!" Monokuma responded. "Though if you want to kill someone while there, or use what you found there to kill someone, then I won't stop you."

With that, I heard Monokuma briefly whistle.

"But if you want to redeem them, then just call for me." the bear added. "Okay. Talk to you later!"

With that, Monokuma disappeared.

* * *

After a bit of time, me and Kiyoko were sitting in the greenhouse having a picnic. Upon making the picnic, we called for Monokuma and he guided us to the greenhouse. It was behind one of the locked gates in the hallway, so at least we know where it is now. He also said that we have an hour, so he'll collect us once our time is up.

Looking around, the greenhouse was as expected. There were a lot of different plants around, some edible, with various gardening tools too. A toolshed appeared near the end of the greenhouse too. Of course, there were no windows, and no way out. The scenery was all painted onto a wall, but the sunlight effect created by the lights was a nice touch. I have to give Monokuma props on that one. There also appeared to be a watering hose. I guess it's there should anyone want to water the plants. Kind of pointless, considering there appear to be sprinklers too.

"This is a wonderful date, isn't it Hayato darling?" Kiyomi said, interrupting the silence.

Hayato darling? I guess she could have chosen something more embarrassing, so it's not that bad of a nickname.

"Yeah, it is nice." I replied. "It's almost enough to make you forget that we've basically been kidnapped."

"Aw... Don't spoil the romantic mood." Kiyomi commented. "We're alone on a date. That's all that matters."

"On a date? How juicy..."

I heard a girl's voice nearby. In the following moments, Sakuya and Karen appeared in front of us.

"I never figured you'd be the romantic type, Hayachii." Sakuya mocked. "Though you could have always asked me. I'd be happy to go on a date with you. And maybe do a little more..."

"Back off, bitch. He's mine." Kiyomi coldly said to the cosplayer.

"Alright, alright. No need to get angry with me. I was only joking." Sakuya replied. "Or was I?"

"So how's the search for an exit going?" I asked the two sisters, hoping to change the topic.

"Not too well..." Karen responded. "Yuki is trying to look for something to hack into, but the others have all given up for today."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think we should have stuck with Yosuke's group, like you two did." the Sakuya added, sitting down next to me. "Kou's acting like a big dick."

"He's got to act like one, because he doesn't have one himself." Kiyomi mocked.

"Oooh! Burn!" Sakuya laughed. "I think you and me will be good friends."

"I take it Monokuma gave you two some tickets as well?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Sakuya replied, helping herself to the picnic food. "This seemed like the best place to go to relax for a bit, so we came here. Would be better if it were always open, though."

"Why do you think this place was locked though, Onee-san?" Karen asked her sister.

Sakuya thought for a few seconds before giving her response. "Maybe Monokuma will unlock more areas for us after someone gets killed?"

"That's a scary thought..." I commented.

"I hope this place gets unlocked soon, in that case." Kiyomi sighed. "That way, we can come on a date here everyday, without having to buy more tickets."

"Yeah, if you ask me, the coins are better spent on that machine thing." Sakuya shared. "I won a cute ring in there earlier!"

She held out her hand to show us the ring. It looked like there was a pink rose on it.

"Totally matches my hair, right?" asked the cosplayer, hoping we'd offer her a compliment.

The remainder of our time in the greenhouse was spent with random conversation topics. I didn't mind so much, but I think Kiyomi was annoyed that our date was interrupted. After some time had passed, Monokuma showed up to escort the four of us out. He appeared to be very strict about not overstaying the given time that we had.

* * *

Upon leaving the greenhouse, I overheard a voice coming from the shop. The person it belonged to sounded incredibly annoyed, by the sounds of it. Curious as to what had happened, the four of us ran in. Looking around, the shop appeared generic, with a variety of things being on display. Near the back, was a counter with the Monomono Machine sitting on top. Using the machine, was Haru. He appeared to be annoyed.

"Dammit! Another pointless one!" cried the Trickster.

"What's going on?" I asked, concerned with Haru's behavior.

Haru turned around to face us. "Oh, hey Hayato. I was just testing out the machine here."

"But why were you shouting?" I responded. "We could hear you in the hallway."

Haru sighed. "I was seeing what I could win from this machine. I thought I could get something to help with my tricks, but I keep getting rose shaped rings, and red cloaks."

He held up his winnings, showing us a collection of six rings, and four cloaks.

"How did you even get enough money for that?" Sakuya asked, curious.

"Found 'em lying about. They're actually easy to find when you know where to look." Haru responded, taking a handful out of his pocket.

"The machine gets refilled everyday. Try to collect all the items! There are 96 in total." added Monokuma, who casually stood next to us.

"Sounds cool! I wanna try!" Kiyomi cried.

"I'll let you have some of mine." Haru responded, giving each of us (including Monokuma) a few coins.

"Are we seriously going to ignore the fact that Monokuma just causally joined our conversation?" I asked everyone.

Unfortunately, they all appeared to be too busy trying out the Monomono Machine to reply.

Monokuma turned to me and replied "Upupupu... It appears we are."

While the others were busy discussing the Monomono machine and their prizes, I for some reason found myself engaged in a casual conversation about kittens with Monokuma. Following some time, Monokuma left us to return to... whatever it is he does when he's not bothering us, while parted ways with Haru, Sakuya, Karen and (eventually) Kiyomi.

* * *

Following this long day, I had looked at the watch I was wearing and noticed that the time was around 9:00pm. If Monokuma hadn't messed with this, that means that it's almost Nighttime. With this in mind, I decided to head back towards my room to shower, since the thought had skipped my mind earlier in the day. As I approached the rooms, I noticed Kou walking down the hallway. Upon noticing me, he sighed, and stopped walking.

"Well, if it isn't the secretive boy with places too much trust in idiots." Kou greeted(?).

"A simple, 'Hello Hayato' would have been better..." I commented.

"It's the truth. We should all be working together to find a way out of here." Kou continued. "Although I will admit that the search my team went through today had proved futile..."

"I agree that we should all work together to find a way out, although there aren't many places we can go to that would provide us with a means of escape." I stated.

Kou thought for a moment. "That is true. Earlier Monokuma handed us some tickets which we could us to go to select places in the building. Haru and I had decided to check out the rec room on the second floor, however this proved a futile effort."

I was confused as to why they decided to check the rec room, of all places.

"I can see the look on your face. Our team had checked most of the places. I believe Haru and Sakuya are the only ones in my group with remaining tickets at this point." Kou responded to my expression. "I had Sakuya and her sister check out the greenhouse, although it appears they did nothing in terms of investigating."

Because they interrupted on my picnic with Kiyomi, most likely.

"I don't even know why I am still talking to you at this point." Kou commented. "I shall be taking my leave now."

With that, Kou walked away. Did he really want to talk to me, or did he just want to hear the sound of his own voice?

With that, I returned to my room and headed into the shower. By the time I finished my shower and had changed into my pyjamas, Monokuma began his Nighttime announcement.

"The time is now 10pm, meaning it is officially Nighttime! The doors to the dining area will soon be locked, with entry after that being strictly prohibited. And with that, I wish you all a good night."

As I got into bed, I reflected on the situation we faced earlier today, with everyone splitting into two groups. It would be better if we could all get along, although I guess that's impossible with some people. As long as nobody dies, I guess everything is fine though.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Act 2 is over. The team is divided, and the totally-not-obvious mastermind will soon reveal the first motive! By that final scene, you should be able to tell that this precedes the first game. I have some backstories planned for the characters which I plan to reveal some of soon, and maybe we'll see the first murder at some point in the next Act.


	4. Chapter 1 - Divided We Fall - Act 3

**Chapter 1: Divided We Fall (Daily Life) - Act 3**

"Good morning everyone! It is now 7am, meaning Nighttime is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

Once again, I was awoken by the morning announcement. While I would have preferred more time to sleep, I recalled our promise to meet in the dining room each morning following the announcement, so I quickly changed into my usual clothes and headed down to meet up with everyone else.

Looking around the dining room, I noticed that only Kiyomi and Mamoru were present. Initially, they didn't notice my presence until I sat down at the table.

"Hayato darling! You're here at last!" Kiyomi exclaimed, jumping off her chair and embracing me. This is a little awkward, if I'm gonna be honest.

"So it's true... you two are a couple now." Mamoru quietly commented. "I'm saddened by this. Hayato, you know I had a thing for you."

Brushing aside the flirting from Mamoru, I removed Kiyomi's grip from me. With that I looked around. Many people had yet to turn up.

"I wonder if everyone else plans to skip breakfast?" Mamoru commented. "Or could it be a result of the divided group?"

"That's a good point. You're in Kou's group, right? Why are you here?" Kiyomi asked.

"Because I intend to get some breakfast?" Mamoru replied. "Also, Kou still thinks we should all meet up in the mornings. I think he's a little afraid someone might commit murder at some point."

"Yeah, that's a valid point." I responded. "Killing another will get us out of here, so someone could be desperate enough."

"Oh... good morning everyone."

As we turned around, we noticed Karen standing by the doorway. Unlike all of the other times we had seen her, she was alone today. Usually, Sakuya would be right by her side.

"Morning, Karen. Where's your sister today?" I asked.

"I don't know... I went to her room, but she didn't answer." Karen replied.

"She's probably in the living room." Monokuma said casually, as he appeared out of nowhere. "Like everyone else."

"Why there?" I asked, confused by this statement.

"Because I gathered them." replied the bear. "I should have made it an announcement, thinking about it... Anyway, get to the living room! I need to tell you all something!"

* * *

The four of us headed to the living room, where everyone else had already gathered.

"Finally, everyone is here." Kou coldly commented. "Took your sweet time."

"My fault, my fault." Monokuma exclaimed, appearing in front of us all. "I should have told them sooner, but I didn't."

"So why do you have us gathered here?" Kyo asked. "You wouldn't be changing your mind about keeping us locked in here, would you?"

"Upupupupu... Nice joke coming from the Ultimate Observer." Monokuma laughed. "Not even close to letting you out of here. In fact, I'm kind of sad."

Naturally, I was confused by this comment. He's... sad? Why would Monokuma be sad? Unless... "It's because nobody has died yet."

"Ding-ding-ding! Bingo! Hayato, you are my new favourite student!" Monokuma cheered. "That's right! It's because nobody is dead yet! So I thought about why, and know I know. It because there is no motive."

A motive? That makes sense. Although we have been promised freedom should we commit murder, that's really the only reason we'd kill. I guess maybe he's thinking that if he gives us more of a reason to kill another, then someone might actually go through with it. Smart thinking, but I think we're all smart enough to not even consider murder.

With that said, Monokuma pulled out a syringe. It had some sort of medicine inside, by the looks of things. "This is the cure!"

Naturally, we were all confused by this comment. "Cure for what?" I heard Yosuke call out.

"The Despair Disease!" the bear called out. "Dis bear has given you all despair!"

Silence.

"Oh come on! That was a good one!" Monokuma shouted in anger.

"What is this Despair Disease, anyway?" Kyo asked.

"Glad you asked." Monokuma responded, calming down in an instant. "Despair Disease is in the air you breathe. It will slowly engulf you all in despair until you have no shred of hope left over! And this cure is the only thing that will stop it. I will give the cure to whoever graduates!"

"Graduates?" Naoki asked in confusion.

"Whoever kills another person will get to leave and will obtain the cure to this so-called disease." Yuki explained.

"Oh, okay then. I knew that." Naoki brushed off his idiotic question by acting as if he already knew the answer.

"Right... well, go kill someone if you want the cure to this despair disease!" Monokuma concluded. "And will that, I shall take my leave!"

Finishing what he had to say, Monokuma disappeared in an instant. With the despair inducing bear gone, everyone remained silent for a short time.

Finally, Michiru spoke up to break the silence. "Does he think we're all idiots or something? That despair disease is obviously fake."

"Yeah, he's probably just trying to trick us into killing..." Haru added. "Probably."

"You sure? This sounds... like the real deal..." responded a nervous Nagisa.

"We shouldn't be too cautious. But we should also prove to Monokuma that his threats mean nothing." added Yosuke.

After everyone had discussed their thoughts on the motive that was just given to us, we all parted ways. While I'm curious as to whether or not this Despair Disease is real or not, I do hope that nobody is dumb enough to attempt to kill someone else.

* * *

A few hours had passed since the motive was revealed, during that time me and Kiyomi had gone back to the greenhouse to have another picnic. To Kiyomi's delight, Sakuya and Karen had also gone to the greenhouse, but had left moments before we arrived. Looking around the greenhouse, nothing had changed since we had last visited, so that made me relieved. Luckily, we had finished the picnic without any thing happening, and without anyone interrupting. As we left, I did notice Kou and Haru enter though. It reminded me of the conversation I had with Kou last night.

 ** _"I can see the look on your face. Our team had checked most of the places. I believe Haru and Sakuya are the only ones in my group with remaining tickets at this point." Kou responded to my expression. "I had Sakuya and her sister check out the greenhouse, although it appears they did nothing in terms of investigating."_**

They probably decided to use Haru's ticket to investigate the greenhouse, since Sakuya and Karen most likely failed to do so twice already. Or perhaps Kou didn't trust their investigation considering they didn't bother the first time? Regardless of the purpose, we didn't speak to them because we had no need to.

Also during the day, we had met up with Michiru and Naoki. Michiru had become curious as to what the contents of the shop were, so she had Naoki carry her there. Literally. She was still on one of the chairs from the dining room, so it appeared he literally carried her while still on the chair. Using some coins we picked up earlier today, I had attempted the Monomono Machine, but I only won a pair of fake glasses. The others didn't win anything of interest either.

We had also spoken with Yosuke, who was sitting in the living room. He said that he enjoyed the quiet atmosphere that the room had presented. While most people had already used their Trip Tickets to visit other places, Yosuke claimed that would be a pointless move, as all rooms will most likely be unlocked soon anyway. Kou had overheard this and started an argument with him about wasting time that could be put to use elsewhere.

As the day concluded, nothing else eventful happened. Me and Kiyomi parted ways at our rooms at about 9:30pm (although it appeared she had wanted us to spend the night together), and I showered before the Nighttime announcement had came on. When the announcement did come on, I got into bed and went to sleep. I had hoped that tomorrow would be as uneventful as today was. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be.

* * *

"Good morning everyone! It is now 7am, meaning Nighttime is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

By the time the morning announcement had came on, I was already dressed and out of my room. I didn't sleep much because the motive Monokuma had given to us was still on my mind. I thought that there was a chance someone would believe this ridiculous motive and actually attempt to murder me in my sleep. Obviously my door was locked, so I don't know why I was so paranoid.

As I headed downstairs to the dining room, I turned to look at the living room. It was then when I noticed the shadow of something hanging from the ceiling from inside.

Nervously, I slowly entered the room, and was horrified by what I saw. What I saw was... the lifeless body of one of our classmate, hanging from the ceiling. Several cuts appeared on their face, neck, and chest areas. Blood had dripped down from those three areas and stained their clothes and the carpet below them. The clothes they were wearing - a once turquoise tracksuit - had been stained red. The dirty blond hair of theirs appeared to have had parts ripped out, with some parts lying on the floor, stained in blood.

What had happened was clear. The leader of our group, Yosuke Flar, had been murdered.

Unable to do anything else, I let out a scream. I had no idea how loud I was screaming. All I wanted to do was to wake up. Wake up from this Nightmare I was having, and return back to my normal death-free life. But I couldn't. Because this was no nightmare. It was reality.

 **Chapter 1: Divided We Fall ( _Deadly_ Life) - Act 3**

Kyo and Lucas, who had presumably been waiting in the dining room, quickly dashed into the room upon hearing my scream. Neither of them could believe what was hanging before them.

"Holy shit..." the Prince commented beneath his breath.

"Someone actually went through with it..." Kyo commented to himself.

 **DING-DONG-DING**

"Upupupupu... It appears as if a dead body has been discovered! Everyone please gather in the living room at once. I shall explain everything from there."

Moments later, Monokuma set off an announcement alerting everyone else to the corpse's existence. One by one, everyone slowly gathered into the living room. Nobody could believe what they saw upon entering. Yosuke, who had been alive and well only yesterday, was hanging lifeless from the ceiling. Some people had clearly felt nauseous because of what they saw. Others were left speechless or in complete shock.

Within moments after everyone's arrival, Monokuma showed up.

"So one of you finally did it! Upupupupupu... I wonder who it was?" Monokuma chuckled to himself.

"How do we know this wasn't your doing?!" Kaede shouted, finally managing to break past the silence that seeing a corpse had created.

Monokuma slowly walked around the room. "Well it wasn't me. That would be against my own personal rules. It was one of you, and that's that. I even saw it through the cameras. Someone in this room, who you had considered to be trustworthy, had committed murder!

"So does that mean the murderer is allowed to leave, or is there another step to take before they can go?" Lucas asked, certain that Monokuma had another thing in mind.

"Clever you are. That is right. The murderer may leave! But only if they are not discovered!" shouted the monochrome bear. "Which is why I called you all here."

"I expected as much." Lucas commented. "You wouldn't make escape _that_ easy."

"Right you are, pretty boy!" Monokuma responded. "You will be given a certain amount of time to investigate any areas of this mansion that you feel like are related to the case. I'll even be a good little bear and let you access Trip Ticket locations you feel like are connected to the crime for free! Following the investigation, you will all be forced to partake in a Class Trial!"

"A Class Trial? Why would we need to do that?" Haru asked. To be honest, I'm not sure if he's joking or being serious.

"Why? To figure out whodunnit, of course!" joyfully exclaimed Monokuma. "If you can all figure out who the culprit is, then I'll execute the Blackened! But if you fail... I'll execute everyone _besides_ the Blackened! And then, the Blackened will be allowed to graduate and leave!"

Everyone began talking among themselves. We all had no idea as to who the killer could be. But one thing was certain: it was one of us.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Chapter 1 is having some short chapters, I know. This is because it's a short chapter. I predict two more acts for Chapter 1. One investigation, and one for Class Trial. Maybe a conclusion act, but that might be combined with the class trial act.

Anyway, if you want to take a guess as to whodunnit, then feel free to. Now I need to figure out how to link the crime to the killer. I already know who it is, but I just need to figure out the final pieces as to how. Investigation will be up soon (probably)


	5. Chapter 1 - Divided We Fall - Act 4

**Chapter 1: Divided We Fall (Deadly Life) - Act 4**

The fourteen of us remained silent. We need to figure out the true identity of the killer. The one who killed Yosuke. Should we fail, then Monokuma will execute everyone besides the killer. We cannot let whoever did this get away with it. Yosuke Flar, you will be avenged.

"Before you get started, I would like to present you all with this!" Monokuma broke the silence. With that, he took out a black file. "Ta-da! It's... The Monokuma File! This will tell you the basic details surrounding the murder!"

Monokuma walked over to me and gave me the file. I don't know why me exactly, but I have it in my hands.

"With that, I'll return to my base. I'll start the trial when I get bored of waiting. See you later!" Monokuma said, before disappearing out of the room./p

With Monokuma gone, I opened the file and read it aloud.

"Victim: Yosuke Flar. Time of death was around 12am midnight. The body was found hanging from the ceiling of the living room. Cause of death was a stab wound to the face. Other wounds on the body include stab wounds on the chest, a slit throat, and small cuts surrounding the face. Pieces of hair have appeared to have been ripped off the victim's head and are lying on the ground surrounding the body."

"Why would someone do this to him..." Yuki commented.

"Probably because they refused to listen to his lead." Naoki commented. "Isn't that right, Kou?"

Kou was not amused by this accusation. "You seriously think I did this?"

"That would make the most sense..." Kaede added. "You two did not get along."

"So this makes you certain that I am the culprit." Kou stated. "Fine. Believe that if you will. While you are placing blame on me, I shall go and actually investigate."

With that said, Kou left the room.

"Before we start the investigation, I think someone should guard the crime scene." Kyo commented. "We wouldn't want the killer interfering with our investigation by altering the crime scene, would we?"

"You make a valid point." Michiru replied. "In that case, I shall stay behind to guard the scene. I have no intention of getting my hands dirty investigating, anyway."

"Ms Hino can not guard it alone." Yu commented. "If she's the killer, then she could easily mess with the scene. Mr Inoue. You shall stay and guard, too."

"Yeah, okay." Naoki replied, agreeing to this task. "I doubt I'd be of much help investigating anyway."

With that, everyone except for Naoki, Michiru, Kyo and I had left the room to begin their investigations.

 **Investigation - Start**

 _'Monokuma File #1' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

"Considering you are still here, I assume you also wish to confirm the status of the body?" Kyo asked me.

"Yeah..." I replied. "Maybe there are some clues lying on the body?"

With that, Kyo and I began to check the body's status.

Checking Yosuke's face, I could see the killing stab that the Monokuma file had mentioned. The weapon appeared to have struck directly between the eyes. Naturally, that would have killed him instantly. The other cuts on his face, appeared to have been caused by a different weapon. There were small cuts at different areas, however it appeared that they had left marks imprinted in. They looked almost like... flowers?

Kyo noticed what I was looking at and shared his thoughts. "Perhaps the killer had a fight with him beforehand. They may have been wearing something on their wrists which could have left those markings..."

 _'Marks on face' have been added to your Truth Bullets._

"Looking at the other wounds, it appears only some of them occurred before death." Kyo continued. "This many stab wounds would have killed him, if not those, then the slit throat definitely would have. But the cause of death was the stab to the face."

He's right. The wounds on his body would have been enough to kill him on their own. So why would the killer have stabbed him that many times? Perhaps to camouflage the way they killed?

 _'Stab Wounds' have been added to your Truth Bullets._

 _'Slit Throat' has been added to you Truth Bullets._

Looking down at the floor, I took a look at the hair lying beneath him. The amount of hair appears consistent with how much hair has been ripped off of his head. While not much, it appears that this may have occurred during a struggle. What's weird, however, is the fact that the hair appears to be lying on top of the blood, rather than being completely covered by it. Could the hair have been ripped off after his blood poured onto the floor? Looking next to it, I noticed more hair covered in blood. Wait, no. This hair is a different shade of red. Could the hair have absorbed the blood, causing a change in colour, or am I just imagining it?

"That hair is strange." Kyo commented, picking up a strand. "If it were covered in blood, why is the colour not consistent with the other stained hair?"

 _'Strands of Hair' have been added to your Truth Bullets._

Lying next to the blood stained hair, was a knife. This knife appeared to have blood on the tip. No doubt that this is the murder weapon. Could the killer have stolen this from the kitchen?

 _'Kitchen Knife' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

That appears to be everything in this room investigated, at least as far as to what's related to the murder is, anyway.

"Wait, Hayato. Look at this." Kyo instructed me towards the rope hanging Yosuke from the ceiling.

"It's a normal piece of rope. That's what it is." I replied, looking at it. "Wait... Why is it green?"

"Because it appears that it is not a rope. It looks more like a watering hose." Kyo commented. "But why is this here?"

"I think the killer may have brought it here from the greenhouse. I remember seeing one there before." I recalled.

After thinking for a moment, Kyo called out for Monokuma and asked him to take us to the greenhouse. A few moments passed, before Monokuma showed up and guided us there.

* * *

"We're in the greenhouse now. Knock yourself out, and let me know when you want to leave." Monokuma responded, standing by the doorway.

Looking around, everything looked the same as it did yesterday. The tool shed was the same. The plants were the same. The watering hose was gone. Wait, gone?

"The watering hose is gone..." I commented. "So it really was used to hang up the body..."

"Which brings the question as to how the person snuck it out of here." Kyo added. Before continuing, Kyo turned to Monokuma. "Monokuma. Is there a chance someone could have snuck anything out of here unnoticed?"

Monokuma thought for a moment. "If they left it by the gates, they could easily come back and pull it through later on. Are you implying someone did that?!"

"Is it against the rules to do so?" Kyo replied with a question.

"I guess not." Monokuma responded.

 _'Gates to Greenhouse' were added to your Truth Bullets._

Kyo smiled to himself, before continuing to look around. Inside the tool shed, we noticed a surprising lack of tools.

"Hayato, can you confirm the existence of tools in here?" Kyo asked.

I never looked inside the tool shed, so I can't say.

"I guess not... Maybe we can find someone who can?" Kyo asked.

"The only other people to have come here as far as I know, would be..." I recalled. "Kiyomi, Sakuya, Karen, Kou, and Haru. Everyone else, I'm not certain."

"Assuming you were with Kiyomi on all times you visited this place, that would make the other four the best people to ask." Kyo commented. "For now, we shall return to the main building."

* * *

After Monokuma escorted us back into the hallway, Kyo and I parted ways. He had decided to continue his investigation on his own, intending for us to discover more if we divide the work.

Looking around, I saw Mamoru, Kaede and Yu gathered around the post box. Curious, I approached them.

"Hey, guys." I greeted.

"Mr Hare. Good timing." Yu replied. "Take a look at what we just discovered."

Looking inside the post box, I noticed... tools? There appeared to be miniature shovels, clippers, and gloves, among others. Wait... are these the missing tools from the Greenhouse?

"Why would they be here, though." Mamoru questioned.

"Maybe the killer used them as weapons?" Kaede asked.

"No, they're too clean to be weapons." Yu commented. "The murder occurred at night, so no water can be run. How would the killer have cleaned them?"

"Ah... good point." Kaede replied. "Maybe as a distraction, then?"

A distraction? Could that have been what lured Yosuke into the room... Tools in the living room are certainly out of place, but it doesn't add up...

 _'Toolshed Tools' have been added to your Truth Bullets._

Bidding a farewell to the three of them, I continued to investigate, by going into the Kitchen. It would seem possible for the killer to have stolen the knife they used from there.

* * *

In the kitchen, I saw Kiyomi, Nagisa, Haru and Lucas gathered. While Nagisa was off to the side, the other three were discussing their thoughts on the killings.

Looking around, I noticed a set of knives on the wall. Strangely, one of them appeared missing. Judging by the sizes, this must have been where the killer got the knife from.

 _The 'Kitchen Knife' Truth Bullet has been updated._

"Um... Hayato?"

Turning around, I saw that Nagisa had wanted to tell me something.

"I think I know... something relating to... this case." she told me.

Naturally, I was shocked about this, so I let her speak.

"Last night... at around 9pm... I had just left the kitchen after getting... a drink of water." she began. "When I saw someone... enter. That may have been... who stole the knife... that's missing..."

"Did you see who it was?" I asked.

Nagisa shook her head. "N... No. They were wearing... a red cloak or some kind... I didn't get a good... look at them or anything."

 _'Nagisa's Account' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

A red cloak? Where would someone get that? Right! The shop!

* * *

Following the investigation in the Kitchen, I headed towards the shop. When inside the shop, I saw that Yuki, Sakuya and Karen were already there, along with Kyo.

"Hayachii! Hey!" Sakuya called out. "Found out anything yet?"

"A few things, yeah." I responded. "That's why I'm here."

"Interesting. You placed a connection between the markings on the face and the Monomono Machine prizes, too?" Kyo asked.

"A connection? No..." I responded. "I did think that the killer could have used the prizes to disguise themselves though."

"Like... to cover their face?" Yuki asked.

I nodded. "Nagisa said she saw someone go into the Kitchen last night. She doesn't know who though, because they were wearing a cloak."

"Oh yeah. Haru won some of those the other day from the Monomono Machine, didn't he?" Karen recalled.

 _'Monomono Machine Prizes' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

"Oh, Hayato. Have you spoken with Kou yet?" Kyo asked. "He's on the second floor. You should talk to him."

* * *

Heading up to the next floor, Kou stood by the bedrooms. He was lost in thought.

"Hey, Kou." I greeted.

He looked at me, then had a look of disgust on his face. "Oh, it is you. Here to bother me too?"

"Actually, I want to ask you something." I responded.

"So you _do_ wish to bother me. What is it?" he impatiently asked.

"When you went into the Greenhouse before, did you notice any tools in the toolshed?" I asked.

"Yes, I did. Everything appeared as Sakuya had told me. It appears that the second investigation for her wasn't completely useless." Kou responded. "Why do you ask?"

"Because they're in the post box now." I replied. "The watering hose is also missing from there."

Kou appeared shocked by this. "Seriously? But how... I'm certain everything remained in place when Haru and I had left yesterday. I don't think anybody else had went in there following us, either..."

 _'Kou's Account' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

* * *

I've learned a few useful things from my investigation, but I'm still not close to discovering the murderer's true identity.

As I returned to the living room, something caught my eye. Michiru and Naoki had discovered a red cloak in the corner of the room.

"Where did you find this?" I asked, shocked.

"In the corner over here." Michiru had responded. "It appears to have some very faint red handprints stained in."

Looking closely it appeared she was correct. It appeared as if someone had wiped some blood onto it. It also appeared as if some blood had found it's way on through some other means, too.

 _'Red Cloak' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

 **DING-DONG-DING**

"It's official. I'm bored. Everyone please gather to the red door in the Living Room. We shall begin our very first Class Trial! I am so excited!"

Monokuma finished the announcement, and we all gathered to the red door. Previously, this had been blocked off by some gates, but they were gone now.

Behind the doors, was a lift.

"Everyone please step into the lift to be brought down to the basement. We shall have the trial occur there." Monokuma stated, once everyone had shown up. "I'll get there first, so see you down there!"

With that, we all stepped into the lift. Naturally, I heard a few people call this pointless, because Kou is the obvious suspect, but... something feels off about this. The methods are... strange.

As the lift descended, we all felt terrified as to what we'd see. The steel box we were in descended with heavy clunking sounds towards the basement. As we reached the bottom floor, the doors opened. What we saw behind them, was a mock courtroom. Stands were placed in a circle formation. The walls were blue with red curtains hanging at each corner. At the back, was a throne, which Monokuma sat on.

"Your Lord Monokuma has been waiting for you." Monokuma called out.

"So this is where our trial will occur." Lucas commented.

"Why go through this effort though?" Sakuya asked.

"To make things seem more... genuine." Monokuma responded.

"And that is there because...?" Kyo asked, pointing at at one stand, which had a grey picture of Yosuke in place. This picture had black ribbons on the top, and was covered with a big red 'X'.

"Just because he's dead, doesn't mean he can't be part of the trial." Monokuma responded. "Fair is fair. Now, please find your designated seats and we shall begin the very first... Class Trial!"

As we all found our places, I took a glance around the room. Yosuke Flar is dead. One of us killed him. The question is... who.

The curtain of our face case opened. A deadly judgement... A deadly deception... A deadly betrayal... A deadly riddle, a deadly defence, a deadly faith... A deadly... Class Trial...!

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

The first trial begins! Can you piece it together yet? There have been a few hints already. I'll try to have the next chapter up by tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 1 - Divided We Fall - Act 5

AN: Before we start, I would like to say I will be posting this chapter in a script format. Each Class Trial will be presented this way, mostly due to the nature of the back and forth conversations. Normal thought text will appear at certain points, although they will mostly be before a piece of evidence is presented. Anyway, onto the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Divided We Fall (Deadly Life) - Class Trial**

Monokuma: "Now, let's begin with a simple explanation of the Class Trial!"

"During the Class Trial, you will present your arguments of who you think the killer is, and vote for whodunnit. If you vote correctly, when only the blackened will receive punishment. But if you choose the wrong person..."

"I will punish everyone besides the blackened, and they will then graduate!"

Hayato Hare: "So the killer is really one of us?"

Monokuma: "I'm afraid so. It was one of you!"

Kyo: "And if we can figure out who the killer is, everyone else here gets to live?"

Monokuma: "Correct! Also, try to keep things 100% fair, alright? I wanna see you present your evidence for each accusation, or at the bare minimum, your reasoning."

Naoki Inoue: "Is there even any point in this? We all know Kou was the one who killed him!"

Kou Amagi: "And what proof do you have to support that claim?"

Naoki Inoue: "You two didn't get along! He didn't follow your lead, so you killed him for it!"

Yuki Saito: "That's not enough to prove that it was him though..."

Sakuya Minakami: "Well whoever it was clearly wanted him to suffer."

Lucas Nevermind: "What exactly makes you think that?"

Sakuya Minakami: "The killer clearly attacked Yosuke several times."

"Probably by using some **random knife they found**."

NO, THAT'S WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Kitchen Knife'_

Hayato Hare: "The murder weapon was clearly a knife, that much is obvious. But it wasn't just some random knife they found."

Sakuya Minakami: "What makes you say that, Hayachii?"

Hayato Hare: "The knife was clearly stolen from the kitchen. One of the knives was clearly missing."

Lucas Nevermind: "Ah yes. I noticed that too. So are you saying that the killer had stolen one of the knives to use?"

Hayato Hare: "Yes, that's right."

Kyo: "They would have needed to steal it before the Nighttime announcement had came on then."

Haru Yamato: "Why do you think that?"

Hayato Hare: "Because access to the kitchen and dining room is prohibited after Nighttime so the killer wouldn't have access to the kitchen during that time."

Naoki Inoue: "A missing knife, huh? So that's obviously the murder weapon."

Michiru Hino: "Judging by the state of the body, as well as the fact it was lying next to the body covered in blood, that was obvious."

Naoki Inoue: "Well, yeah... I guess so."

Kiyomi Sora: "So now that we've confirmed that, what next?"

Kyo: "How about the status of the body?"

Mamoru Kurosawa: "Well, the victim had wounds all over his body."

Lucas Nevermind: "Obviously as part of the attack. Tell us something new."

"Perhaps about the wounds themselves?"

Mamoru Kurosawa: "Uh... what about them?"

Yu Hayase: "I believe he is referring to the that state of the wounds."

"Maybe something is off about them..."

Karen Minakami: "But what is off about them?"

" **They were all made by the same weapon**."

NO, THAT'S WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Marks on Face'._

Hayato Hare: "The markings on the face were clearly not made by the knife. So some other form of weapon may have been used."

Kou Amagi: "If this is true, then please tell us what makes you think that?"

Hayato Hare: "The markings were faint, although they appeared to be in the shape of flowers. It wouldn't have been worth it to use the knife to make those markings."

Sakuya Minakami: "Then what could have made them then?"

Hayato Hare: "I'm... not sure."

Kyo: "I can fill you in on that. The killer must have been wearing some rings. They got into some sort of fight with Yosuke before the killing took place. As a result, imprintings of the rings were left on the victim's face."

Kiyomi Sora: "Rings with flowers on? So it must have been a girl!"

Kyo: "No. Anyone could have gotten those rings by pure chance. If a boy had obtained them, they may not have necessarily gotten rid of them."

Yuki Saito: "Okay... Then where did the killer get them from?"

Kyo: "Hayato. You can answer this one."

Hayato Hare: 'Where could the killer have gotten the rings from? There's only one place.'

 _Present Evidence 'Monomono Machine'._

Hayto Hare: "Hm... Maybe from the Monomono Machine! There are plenty of prizes to win from that, and I think rings with flowers are among them."

Haru Yamato: "Oh yeah, you're right! They're really common by the looks of it."

Sakuya Minakami: "Agreed. Haru, Kiyomi, Karen and I can confirm that. We won so many of them the other day."

Kyo: "I attempted this earlier and won this."

(Kyo takes out a capsule. As he opens it, he takes out a green cloak)

Yuki Saito: "Why bring that up? That means nothing to this case."

Kyo: "It will mean something in time."

Michiru Hino: "Ignoring his dumb comment, it appears that Haru, Kiyomi, Karen and Sakuya. have possession of these rings? Then that makes you prime suspects."

Yu Hayase: "Ms Hino. You cannot say that with certainty. Someone else could have obtained them, or possibly even stolen theirs."

Michiru Hino: "Someone such as... the Ultimate Dick."

Kou Amagi: "I certainly hope you are not referring to me, Ms Ultimate Bitch!"

Michiru Hino: "You want to fight? Naoki. Proceed to kick the Ultimate Dick's ass."

Naoki Inoue: "Yes, ma'am!"

Monokuma: "Order in the court! Continue the debate, please. I want this wrapped up _today_."

Lucas Nevermind: "Putting their argument aside, I believe it is worth noting the fact that the victim was hanging from the ceiling."

Yu Hayase: "So this played some part in the killing?"

Kyo: "Not exactly. It played a role in the plot, but **not with the killing itself**."

I AGREE WITH THAT! - _Truth Bullet 'Monokuma File #1'_.

Hayato Hare: "Kyo is right. The Monokuma File clearly states that the cause of death was the stab wound on the face."

Karen Minakami: "But why was he hung up then?"

Kyo: "Possibly to add more confusion to the murder. It could have had some role in leading the victim over, but not in the actual killing."

Yuki Saito: "So... it was bait that the killer had used?"

Kyo: "That's what I think. The killer couldn't hide it with any other pieces of evidence, so they used it to hang to body."

Kaede Ichinose: "Other evidence? Like what we found in the post box, I guess."

Hayato Hare: 'What was found in the post box... What were they again?'

 _Present Evidence 'Toolshed Tools'_.

Hayato Hare: "You mean the tools?"

Kaede Ichinose: "Yeah! That's it!"

Kyo: "Tools which were stolen from the toolshed in the greenhouse. Alongside the watering hose which was used to hang the victim!"

Lucas Nevermind: "A... watering hose?"

Michiru Hino: "Well, that would explain the strange colour of the rope..."

Yu Hayase: "That makes sense... but..."

"The killer would have needed to have an accomplice!"

Mamoru Kurosawa: "What's the reason you think this?"

Yu Hayase: "Because..."

" **There is no way to get anything out of the greenhouse unnoticed!** "

NO, YOU'RE WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Greenhouse Gates'._

Hayato Hare: "Actually, there is a way."

Yu Hayase: "Seriously...?"

Hayato Hare: "Yes. If the killer were to have hidden them near the gates, they could have easily gone back later to retrieve them. The gaps between the gates allow enough room to reach in and take something."

Yuki Saito: "But wouldn't that be against the rules."

Kyo: "Monokuma confirmed it for us earlier. It is not against the rules."

Yuki Saito: "So that really could have been the case..."

Yu Hayase: "But that doesn't confirm anything! There could have still been an accomplice!"

Monokuma: "Nope. No accomplice in this case. Besides..."

"The rules state only the Blackened may leave. Being an accomplice is pointless. You have nothing to gain from it! Upupupu..."

Yu Hayase: "Well, out goes that theory."

Mamoru Kurosawa: "No accomplice, huh? Then someone must have tricked their partner into not noticing what they were doing..."

Nagisa Sakura: "Wait guys... why do you all think that... another person is involved?"

Hayato Hare: 'Why? Well that's because of the...'

 **T-R-I-P T-I-C-K-E-T-S**

Hayato Hare: "Because of the Trip Tickets Monokuma had given us the other day. It allows for access to a restricted area of the school building."

"But, you can only go with another person."

Nagisa Sakura: "Oh... That makes... sense. But who... could it have been?"

Haru Yamato: "All we gotta do is find out who went to the greenhouse on that day."

Sakuya Minakami: "Karen and I went there first that day, I think. Everything was still there while we were there."

Kiyomi Sora: "Hayato Darling and I went not long after them."

Hayato Hare: "I can confirm everything was there while we were there, too."

Haru Yamato: "Yeah, afterwards, I went there with Kou."

Kou Amagi: "Everything was there as I recall."

Yuki Saito: "So that means it was **whoever went after Kou and Haru**!"

NO, THAT'S WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Kou's Account'._

Hayato Hare: "No, actually. That's not it. Kou told me that he was certain nobody had went into the greenhouse after him and Haru."

Kou Amagi: "That's true. Everything was intact while we were in there, and I don't recall witnessing anyone else enter after us."

Naoki Inoue: "So... that proves it was you who did it!"

Michiru Hino: "Yes, that would make sense. He claims that everything was in place, but in reality..."

"He stole the items!"

Kou Amagi: "Foolish remarks will get you nowhere. I am innocent in this crime."

Kyo: "It is too soon to place the blame just yet."

Kiyomi Sora: "Why do you say that?"

Kyo: "Because there are still things to go over."

Lucas Nevermind: "Yes. Such as if anyone witnessed anything."

Hayato Hare: 'A witness... Wait! Yes! There was one person...'

 _Present Evidence 'Nagisa's Account'._

Hayato Hare: "There was someone who witnessed the knife being stolen. Nagisa!"

Nagisa Sakura: "Ah... yes... I did."

Sakuya Minakami: "You could have spoken up sooner, you know."

Nagisa Sakura: "Yes... Sorry... I saw someone enter the... kitchen at around... 9pm. I was there to get... a glass of water... when I saw them..."

Yu Hayase: "Ms Sakura. Can you recall what they looked like?"

Nagisa Sakura: "N... no. But they were... wearing a cloak."

Naoki Inoue: "Could be the same cloak we found in the corner of the living room."

Kiyomi Sora: "Cloak?"

Naoki Inoue: "Yeah. Me, Michiru-sama, and Hayato saw it."

Hayato Hare: "Yes. The killer must have wanted to use it to hide themselves, but then decided to get rid of the evidence afterwards."

Kyo: "There is another reason. Perhaps they wanted to wear it because of another reason."

Hayato Hare: 'Another reason? What could it be...'

 **Victim's Blood**

Hayato Hare: "Yosuke's blood! They would have gotten some on what they were wearing. So they wore the cloak to prevent their own clothes from being covered."

Karen Minakami: "But couldn't they have just washed them?"

Hayato Hare: "The water doesn't run at Nighttime. So they wouldn't have been able to."

Yuki Saito: "On a different note, why is there no place to clean our clothes?"

Monokuma: "There is. I just haven't unlocked it yet. Upupupu..."

Kyo: "Back to the topic at hand..."

"They will have also used to cloak to wipe off any blood on, for example, their hands."

Kaede Ichinose: "How can you be certain that is what happened?"

Kyo: "I can't be. I'm just assuming."

Hayato Hare: 'Is that what happened...?'

 _Present Evidence 'Red Cloak'._

Hayato Hare: "It may have been what happened. Upon looking at the cloak, you can see some handprints on them. It must have been left by the blood."

Kaede Ichinose: "Oh... That makes sense."

Kyo: "There's now only one topic left to cover now, I believe."

"The victim's hair and wounds."

Haru Yamato: "Hey idiot. That's two topics."

Kyo: "Is it?"

Haru Yamato: "What are you implying?"

Kyo: "We know that the stab to the face is what killed him, but..."

"Some other things would have killed him sooner if already inflicted onto the victim. Hayato? What are they?"

Hayato Hare: 'What would have killed him sooner? That would be...'

 _Present Evidence 'Stab Wounds'._

 _Present Evidence 'Slit Throat'._

Hayato Hare: "The stab wounds and slit throat. Either of those would have been enough to kill him, yet it was the stab to the head that did."

Mamoru Kurosawa: "Maybe Yosuke was able to survive them, which is why the killer went for the head."

Kyo: "Or maybe they were trying to cover something."

Sakuya Minakami: "What would they have tried to cover though?"

Lucas Nevermind: "Perhaps something that would have given away their identity?"

Kyo: "Their own hair. Which had some strands pulled out as a result of their fight with the victim."

"They inflicted the stab wounds on the victim's chest and slit his throat to use the blood to cover the hair."

"Following that, they ripped out the victim's hair and placed it on top. Most likely in a panic."

Kou Amagi: "I believe you meant to word it the other way around."

Kyo: "No. I didn't. If you were to look at the blood and the hair, it's obvious it happened in the order I stated."

Kou Amagi: "Whoever it was must have been an idiot."

Naoki Inoue: "Saying that about yourself, huh?"

Kou Amagi: "It wasn't me. That is the last time I shall say that."

Naoki Inoue: "Well, who else could it have been? Nobody else went to the garden after you did!"

Hayato Hare: 'That's it! If Kou is correct, then someone here does fit the criteria.'

 **Character Chosen - HARU YAMATO**

Hayato Hare: "One more person can be a suspect here. Haru Yamato."

Michiru Hino: "Ah, yes, He was the person to go with Kou to the greenhouse."

Kou Amagi: "The Ultimate Trickster would have been able to gather up some tools without having anybody notice, too."

Haru Yamato: "You saying I did it? You can't prove that!"

Sakuya Minakami: "You _did_ also win some rings and cloaks the other day, too..."

Haru Yamato: "This is ridiculous!"

Nagisa Sakura: "You could have... been who I saw wearing... the cloak."

Haru Yamato: "This is dumb!"

"Why would I have been **wearing that red cloak** into the kitchen?!"

THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Nagisa's Account'._

Hayato Hare: "Haru... Nagisa never shared the fact that the cloak was red."

Haru Yamato: "Uh... well... I only said red cloak because that was the only colour cloak you can get from the machine!"

Kyo: "But I shared my prize with you all earlier. It was a _green_ cloak."

"That means you would have known about the colour variation. So why assume red?"

Haru Yamato: "Uh... it's just... well..."

Kou Amagi: "We appear to have found the culprit."

Haru Yamato: "SHUT IT, ASSHOLE! YOU CAN'T PROVE THAT IT WAS ME! I DIDN'T DO IT! YOU CAN'T JUST PLACE THE BLAME ON ME! I HAVE MY RIGHTS! YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES IF YOU THINK IT'S ME!

Yu Hayase: "Not the reaction I'd expect."

Haru Yamato: "WHY WOULDN'T I REACT LIKE THIS? ANYONE WOULD IF ALL BLAME WAS PLACED ON THEM!"

Kou Amagi: "I didn't because I was innocent. You did because you are guilty."

Haru Yamato: "SHUT UP, YOU DICK! WE ALL KNOW IT WAS YOU! JUST CONFESS ALREADY SO WE CAN JUST LEAVE!"

Hayato Hare: "Haru. Calm down."

Haru Yamato: "I CAN'T CALM DOWN! YOU PLACED BLAME ON ME! YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE! MAYBE IT WAS YOU! YOU'RE TRYING TO TRICK THEM INTO THINKING IT WAS ME, AREN'T YOU?! IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PIN THE BLAME ON ME, THEN SHOW ME SOME PROOF!"

" **THERE'S NOTHING AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME THAT PROVES I WAS THERE!** "

NO, THAT'S WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Strands of Hair'._

Hayato Hare: "There is proof. The strands of hair on the floor. Some of them that weren't touching the blood were red. The same shade of red as your hair!"

Haru Yamato: "NO! IT WASn't me... It..."

Hayato Hare: "Was you, wasn't it?"

Haru Yamato: "Yeah... It was me... I did it. I killed Yosuke."

Yu Hayase: "But how?"

Hayato Hare: "Here is how I think it went down!"

 _"The crime began not long after Monokuma gave the announcement about the first motive. The killer had been freaked out by this, and decided to murder a classmate in hopes of receiving the cure. Of course, the best way they could think of to do this was to set a trap. They could do this by collecting resources from the greenhouse to use to lure in their victim."_

 _"When at a suitable time of the day, they suggested to a friend that they go to the greenhouse to look around. Naturally, they would have made up some excuse to convince this person to go with them. This person was Kou. Being the last people in the greenhouse that day, and with Kou's poor relationship with some of the others, made him a perfect candidate on whom to frame."_

 _"While the greenhouse, the two parted ways briefly to look around. When the killer was certain that Kou had checked the toolshed and the surrounding areas, the killer decided to take some tools from the shed, as well as the watering hose. They then hid them near the gate, so that they could retrieve them unnoticed later."_

 _"Several hours later, at 9pm, the killer prepared to steal a knife from the kitchen, which they had planned on using as their main weapon. So that nobody would notice, they wore a red cloak that they had previously won from the Monomono Machine. Little did they know, was that Nagisa has witnessed them enter the kitchen. But because of their cloak, she was unable to identify them."_

 _"Fast forward a few more hours. The killer goes to the greenhouse gates and retrieves the tools that they had hidden, where they move them into the living room. By placing them in there, anyone who were to walk past by chance would become curious and enter so that they could investigate. With this, the killer hid someplace nearby."_

 _"After some time had passed. Yosuke arrived. He had probably went there to enjoy the atmosphere a little more while the others were sleeping. Upon arrival, he saw the tools on the floor. Curious, he approached them. The killer used this as their chance to attack."_

 _"The killer attacked Yosuke. Yosuke, however, must have realised what was going on and dodged the attack, before fighting back. During Yosuke's resistance, he was able to pull out some of the killer's hair - but not too much. In turn, the killer began punching Yosuke in the face, leaving marks due to the rings that they were wearing._ _Eventually, the killer was able to kill Yosuke by stabbing him in the head."_

 _"With the crime committed, the killer now needed to hide the evidence. With this, they decided to hide the tools in the post box, believing that nobody would notice them, and they'd get the chance to return them to the greenhouse later. One problem still remained, however. The watering hose."_

 _"Unsure as to how they would hide this, they decided to use it as a rope to hang Yosuke. Upon further looking around, the killer realised that Yosuke had pulled out some of their hair during their fight. Hoping to cover this up they inflicted more wounds on his body so they could use his blood to cover up the hair, and then ripped out some of his hair. What they didn't realise, was that it never actually disguised either of the hair, leaving some proof behind to their true identity."_

 _"Feeling good about how they handled things, they finished by wiping off any blood on them by using the red cloak they had worn, and left it in the corner, before returning to their room."_

 _"Isn't that right, Haru Yamato?"_

Hayato Hare: "That's what happened, right?"

Haru Yamato: "Yeah. That's it."

Kyo: "It appears we've decided on the culprit."

Lucas Nevermind: "Well... That's that."

Yuki Saito: "Why..."

Monokuma: "If you've decided, then you should cast your votes! Please pull the levers in front of you!"

"Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a slot machine appeared in front of Monokuma. The words 'Monokuma Vote' appeared above it. The slots began to spin, deciding on who was chosen. After a few seconds passed, they slowed down, and the three slots all landed on Haru Yamato's face.

As if celebrating, flowers and ribbons fell from the ceiling above it, with a bouquet of flowers appearing next to it.

 **CLASS TRIAL END: ALL RISE**

* * *

Standing up from his seat, Monokuma cleared his throat, ready to make an announcement. "That's right! The one who is responsible for the murder of Yosuke Flar, and the one who betrayed you all is... Haru Yamato!"

"Haru, why?" Sakuya asked, feeling both scared and sad by this reveal.

"I must say that I am also curious about this." Kyo added. "Why would you resort to making the first murder?"

"Isn't it obvious." Haru nervously replied. "Because I'm afraid! I want to leave! And I wanted that cure..."

"But didn't we already decide that it was obviously fake?" Lucas reminded.

"You may have decided that, but there was a chance you were wrong! I didn't want to risk it!" Haru cried out, tears forming from his eyes. He was clearly afraid at this point.

"Hate to break it to ya, but the Prince is right. I made it all up." Monokuma revealed. "How would I be able to make that kind of disease, anyway?"

Haru was left speechless by this remark. "So... I killed him for no reason...?"

"Well, you would have been allowed to leave, but they caught you." Monokuma reminded. "Too bad."

"Haru." I began speaking. "Was your intention to kill Yosuke, or were you planning to kill the first person who fell for the trap?"

Haru sighed. "Honestly... I was gonna kill whoever showed up first. The fact that it was Yosuke was a pure coincidence."

Looking around, it was obvious that almost everyone was terrified by that reply. It could have just as easily been any one of us instead. I couldn't help but shudder at this thought.

"Well now that that's done..." Monokuma began speaking, trying to wrap things up. "It's time for the punishment!"

"P-punishment?" Haru asked, fearing at what would happen to him.

"Have you forgotten? It's time for the execution!" Monokuma exclaimed in joy. "I chose this execution specifically for you, so you should feel honoured!"

"Execution is a little harsh, don't you think?" Yuki asked. "Couldn't there be an alternative?"

"Nope!" Monokuma rudely responded. "If you get caught ending another's life, then you have to pay with your own life! Upupupupu..."

Before anyone else could respond to this, Monokuma took out a gavel.

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's punishment time!" the bear exclaimed, hitting a big red button using the gavel.

 **HARU YAMATO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY**

 **TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT**

 _Haru was in a state of shock, when Monokuma had sent a metal chain to pull him across the trial room and into a giant hall. He was pulled straight up and found himself on a tightrope. He was sitting on a unicycle and needed to ride it all the way across the tightrope to the other side. Should he fall, he'd be impaled by one of the many spikes pointing out of the ground below. Although the chain no longer held onto him at this point, the only way for Haru to survive would be to make his way across._

 _As Haru began riding across, Monokuma walked into the room, dressed as a clown. In his paws, was a small cannon. Taking aim, Monokuma began firing rapidly towards Haru. Firing from the cannon were pies._

 _Despite being hit by these repeatedly, haru kept his balance and continued to ride across._

 _After a few seconds, Monokuma stopped aiming towards Haru, and began aiming at the rope. Then he rapidly switched from hitting the rope and hitting Haru._

 _After only 15 seconds of this, Haru finally lost his balance. He began to plummet down towards the spikes, and was impaled directly in the center of his chest._

 _As if he thought Haru hadn't suffered enough, Monokuma then found his way towards a larger cannon. Using this as his new weapon, Monokuma fired a cannonball directly upwards. After a few seconds, the cannonball fell down, and crushed Haru. If being impaled hadn't killed him, the certainly did._

 _All that was left to see of Haru... was blood. Stained across the floor, spikes, and cannonball. His arms and legs were sticking out from the side of the cannonball. The reality was now made clear._

 _Haru Yamato... was dead._

"Upupupupu... I hope you enjoyed today's circus performance! It will unfortunately be out last performance here today." Monokuma laughed, now back in his usually look.

The reactions surrounding were mixed. Some people were terrified by what had just happened to Haru, while others were shocked by what they had just witnessed. Myself, however... I was pissed off.

"How can you remain so casual about this?!" I screamed at the bear. "You just killed someone and now you're laughing it off as if it was nothing!"

"Woah! Someone's in a bad mood." Monokuma responded, clearly making fun of me. "Did you get cranky over not getting any breakfast? Don't worry! You can all go back to your daily lives!"

Then, without notice, Monokuma disappeared. For a short time, we all just stood there in shock. In just one day, two of our classmates were dead. Knowing we couldn't stay down here forever, Kyo suggested we all make our way back up in the lift. With that, we all got into the lift, and returned to our rooms.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

That was fun to write! I initially had planned to include the Trip Tickets as evidence, but couldn't find a suitable place to put them in, so I scrapped it. One more Act will be part of this chapter, I should also mention. It will be the clean up for the chapter, and will set up a few things for next chapter. It will be up within the next few days.


	7. Chapter 1 - Divided We Fall - Final Act

**Chapter 1: Divided We Fall - Epilogue**

As we made our way back to our rooms, I couldn't help but freeze upon noticing the condition of the living room. It was... normal. Completely clean. Yosuke's corpse had been removed, and any trace that a murder had happened appears to have been removed. Monokuma was somehow able to do this all while we were in the Class Trial. If the circumstances were different, then I'd probably be amazed by this. Watching everyone else walk by, I noticed that many of them were too shocked by what had happened to take notice of the room, but those who did stop to look quickly carried on their way. I soon followed behind.

As I got back into my room, I collapsed onto my bed. It was currently four in the afternoon. A full nine hours has passed since I discovered the corpse of Yosuke Flar. Less than an hour ago, Haru Yamato was executed as punishment for committing the murder. We've been here for four days, I believe, and two of us are already dead. The thought alone brings a chill down my spine.

I probably spent a good hour hidden away in my room before I realised that I hadn't eaten all day. That's right. I skipped both breakfast and lunch due to... everything that happened. I decided that it would be best to head down to the kitchen and prepare something to eat.

Upon my arrival in the dining room, I heard the sound of two people talking. The voices sounded like they were coming from the kitchen. Making sure I wasn't noticed, I stood by the kitchen doorway and peeked inside. In the kitchen... were Kyo and Yuki. They appeared to be having an important discussion. I tried listening in, but wasn't able to hear much.

"...bly not a good idea..." I overheard Kyo say.

"...st make su...ple trust us whe...ll them." Yuki responded.

"...be, but how do we ex...to them?"

"...now, but we ha...ry. I think it's the...ly way."

"...bly right. But we'll see how things go tomorrow, first."

As Kyo said that last part, I could see his gaze shift towards me. While I was out of sight, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew I was there. He IS the Ultimate Observer, after all. But what they were just talking about... I feel as if I shouldn't have heard any of it. I quickly, but quietly leave the room. After a few seconds pass, I reenter the room and head into the kitchen. This was mostly to avoid suspicion. Can't have them knowing I overheard them.

"Hey." I raised a hand as I greeted the two of them. Before giving me a proper response, the two nodded to each other.

"Let me guess... Finally realised you haven't eaten all day?" Kyo asked, casually. I was almost like he was unaware of my presence, after all.

"Heh, yeah." I chuckled as I gave my response. "So much had happened today that the thought completely slipped my mind."

"We were just about to grab a bite to eat ourselves." Kyo added. "Would you like to join us? I'm going to be making my special omelette."

"Sounds great. Can I help in any way?" I asked.

"It's fine. I never need any help with it." Kyo responded. "Thank you for the offer though."

"In that case, we should probably wait in the dining room while we wait." Yuki said to me. "Can't be distracting him, can we?"

As the two of us walked into the dining room, I couldn't help but notice how close Kyo and Yuki seemed. They have something that they need to tell everyone, but maybe they feel like they can't trust us with it? I briefly thought of the possibility that they were dating, but quickly dismissed the idea. Why would they make a big deal about that, anyway?

* * *

The two girls who were in the monitor filled room continued to monitor everything.

"Hey." spoke the black haired girl. "Out of curiosity... What are the odds that some of them will remember?"

The strawberry blonde haired girl chuckled upon hearing this comment from her sister. "It's unlikely that they will. But even if they do, what's the harm?"

"I don't follow."

"It's simple..." she responded, talking in a more cute tone of voice. "They will all be powerless to stop us either way! While they represent hope, some of them will still be drawn in by despair!"

As if changing her personality, the strawberry blonde girl put on a pair of glasses and began speaking more maturely. "I shall still keep an eye on them all. Sis, you shall return to Hope's Peak and check in our our classmates. Send some of the other Ultimate Despair over too.I don't care who."

While the black haired girl hesitated, she quickly obeyed her sister's order. After her sister left, the strawberry blonde haired girl began watching the monitors again.

"It's probably nothing, but... I should probably keep my eyes on those two."

* * *

The nighttime announcement had just played. I had already showered and prepared myself for bed, so I had nothing left to do. I couldn't fall asleep however. It was mostly because I kept thinking... about if another murder would occur tonight. While it was unlikely, given the fact that there is no real motive, I couldn't help but feel paranoid. I don't know how long I spent wondering about that, but I barely heard when there was a knock on my door.

Quickly dragging myself out of bed, I approached the door and opened it. Kiyomi was standing on the other side.

"Hayato-Darling! Can I come in?" she asked. While she sounded as cheerful as always, I couldn't help but notice a hint of fear in her voice.

Without hesitation (and without giving me a chance to reply), Kiyomi stepped into my room and sat down on the bed.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, fully aware that the answer would be no.

"Well, it's just..." Kiyomi began. "After everything that happened today, I don't want to be alone."

Understandable, if you ask me. I was actually a little afraid myself. But wait. Does that mean she...

"So let me sleep with you tonight!" Kiyomi said with a smile. All fear seemed to have vanished from her voice at this point, making me think that she was faking being scared.

"But well... there's only one bed!" I reminded, trying to hide my embarrassment towards this request.

Kiyomi stared blankly at me for a moment. "I don't see the issue. We're dating, after all."

She's trying to progress the relationship quickly, if you ask me. Well, I guess there's no harm in it. Except...

"But you don't see it as an issue sleeping in the same bed as a guy?" I asked. "There's a good chance I may try something while you sleep."

Kiyomi sighed. "That'll be tough to so, considering that's what I was planning..."

Now I'm afraid. Knowing that she wouldn't accept no as an answer, I agreed to let her spend the night with me. Although I couldn't sleep well that night. One reason was because I was afraid of what Kiyomi would do if I fell asleep. Another was because of what had happened today. Of course, there was also the conversation I had overheard. I could always question Kyo and Yuki about it, but... what if they were planning a murder? That would certainly make me the next victim. Eventually, I decided not to let these thoughts bother me (save the first one) and I fell into a light sleep.

 **End of Chapter**

 **14 Students Remain**

* * *

So Chapter 1 is complete. It's definitely been a while since I posted a chapter. This is mostly because of exams taking up my time. I should mention about half of this act was written not long after posting the last act. Also worth noting is that I've now played Danganronpa 2, so I may be making a few references to that at some point, although I'm not certain.

Also worth noting is that the first review was posted the other day! It's good to see that people are enjoying this. :) Something I will say is that Kyo will probably be one character (aside from Hayato) who will definitely be receiving character development during the story. Too many mysteries surrounding him to ignore!


	8. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 1

**Chapter 2: Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet (Daily Life)**

I was alone in a dark room. I don't know how I got here, or even why I'm here. But here I am. Due to the darkness surrounding me, I couldn't see anything. Except... at the back of the room was a single light. I heard voices coming from around me.

"That's not an impressive talent."

"Why'd they even let you in this school?"

"Anyone can do what you do."

"Do us all a favour and leave."

Shut up. They don't know anything about me. My talent isn't worthless. I got my talent because I'm the best at it, just like all of you. I'd like to just leave. Ignore you all. But then what would that say about me? It'll only prove that I'm _not_ deserving of this talent. They say anyone can have my talent, but what they're doing right now proves that isn't the case. Maybe I _am_ better off leaving. I just wish I could forget about this place...

"That's horrible how they're treating you." a feminine voice called out to me.

I turned to face her. She stood confidently. Probably the first person outside of my class to talk to me politely. She looks familiar, too.

"If you want, I can help you forget..." she told me. "I just want one thing in return..."

That's right... _Her_. I remember her. She was the Ultimate..a.h...i...

* * *

I opened my eyes suddenly. That dream. Why did it feel... nostalgic? It felt nostalgic, yet I don't recall ever experiencing anything like that. Then there was that girl who appeared. Who was she? She seemed like someone important, judging by what she said, but I can't recall who she was. For a moment, I was so lost in thought due to the dream that I almost forgot where I was.

"Good morning everyone! It is now 7am, meaning Nighttime is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

The Monokuma morning announcement. Naturally, this was my used as my alarm over the past few days. Of course the strange dream I had last night woke me up before it, which was a nice change. It took a few moments after the announcement to notice something. Something soft was pressed against my face. Curious as to what this was, I looked to my side to discover Kiyomi. She was completely nude, and had pressed her breasts against my face. Naturally, I had no idea of how to react to this situation. Thankfully, the announcement appeared to have woken her up.

"Morning, Hayato-Darling..." she greeted, rubbing her eyes.

"Kiyomi. Why are you like that?" I asked, hoping to clear up the situation.

Kiyomi looked at how she was holding onto me, before looking back at my face and offering a reply. "I'm hugging you."

"BUT WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!" I cried, surprised by the fact that she saw nothing wrong with it.

Kiyomi giggled upon hearing my reaction. "What's wrong with sleeping in the nude? Don't tell me you were thinking of trying something? I'm not opposed to it if you were."

"That's not the issue." I said, standing up and turning my head away. "Anyway, put on some clothes. We need to get ready for breakfast."

Before giving a reply, Kiyomi crawled towards me. "Before that, I'm sure seeing me like this made you excited. Want me to lend you a hand? Or something else..."

Upon saying that, a perverted grin appeared on her face. I'm not sure how, but I was able to escape that situation with very little trouble and we both made our way to the dining room.

* * *

"With everyone here, I suppose we should start evaluating our situation again." Kou began his speech.

"Geez. Who died and made you leader?" Naoki asked, annoyed by Kou's declaration. That was when he remembered what had happened yesterday. "Oh... Shit, yeah. That happened."

"Talk about insensitive." Yuki commented.

"My bad. What I meant to say was... Why are you acting like the leader?" Naoki reworded.

Kou sighed. "Because with the demise of Yosuke, I realised it was a sign that we should not divide among ourselves. A division among us would only lead to further casualties. As a result, I will step up as leader of all of us to ensure that no more lives are lost. To do this, we shall carefully discuss our situation."

"Was it me, or did what the Ultimate Dick say actually make sense?" Michiru asked.

"Could someone please escort that Bitch out of here." Kou asked, wishing to continue with the discussion in peace.

"Well I don't mind doing that, but I also don't want to miss any of your _amazing_ speech." Monokuma replied, as he appeared out of nowhere.

"It _is_ amazing, isn't it." Kou agreed, seemingly unaware that he received that praise from Monokuma.

"Whoa! Why are you here?" Sakuya asked.

"Why how rude of you." Monokuma replied. "I just wanted to check in on my students after everything that happened."

"We're fine, all things considered. Is that all?" Lucas responded, hoping to get the bear to leave.

"Well, now that you mention it... I have a reward for you guys!" Monokuma cheered. "Upupupu... As a reward for making it through the Class Trial alive... You may now explore more of the Monokuma Mansion! The first and second floors now have new content for you guys to explore! Have fun. I'll check in with you guys later. Goodbye!"

And with that, Monokuma left. I wonder how he can get around so easily...

"More places are open to us now, it appears." Kyo commented. "Perhaps we should look around?"

"Yes, that does seem like the best approach to this situation." Kou replied. "Alright. What we'll do is we'll explore the new areas at our own pace and share our findings in about two hours."

Without waiting for anyone to offer their thoughts on the matter, Kou proceeded to walk out of the dining room. Eventually, most of the others followed after him. By this point, the only people who remained were Kyo, Kiyomi, Lucas, Sakuya, Karen and myself.

"I _was_ going to suggest exploring as a group." Kyo commented. "It may be possible someone is planning another murder. If that were the case, they could move some things around without our knowing as we are entering unfamiliar grounds."

"Dumb it down for the rest of us?" Sakuya asked, with a confused expression on her face.

Kyo sighed. "If someone is planning to kill another, this would be their best chance to mess with our surroundings, considering we are unfamiliar with these new areas."

"Oh. In that case we should begin looking around before they get the chance to do so!" Sakuya cheered. "Let's go, Karen!"

With this, Sakuya took her sister's arm and pulled her out of the room with her. With a sigh, Kyo followed.

"I believe the strategy of exploring in a small group worked out well last time." Lucas mention, turning towards me. "So I'll tag along with you again."

Kiyomi's expression turned into one that portrayed jealousy. It appears she took this as an act of war(?). It's like she's misunderstanding the situation as him going to confess his love for me. No. That actually seems to be _exactly_ what she's thinking. I don't know whether or not Lucas noticed the look on her face, but if he did, then he must not want to bring it up in conversation.

* * *

Not much appeared to have changed while exploring the first floor of the building. The greenhouse was now open without requiring the use of those Trip Tickets, so that's a bonus. In addition, we discovered the locked room at the back of the kitchen was a food storage room. It was filled with a wide variety of food, drinks, and other items. Looks like we won't be running low on food for a very long time.

Moving up to the next floor, the gate blocking off the hallway to the hallway across from the bedrooms was now open. Taking a quick look at the higher floors, I noticed that nothing else was open to us.

A variety of new rooms had opened to us at this point. One which was especially noteworthy was the bath. Before entering the bath, there was a large room which is to be used as a changing room. This room contained shelves for clothes, small wooden benches, mirrors, and other various things you'd expect to see. This room had no doors, although signs were available to hang up to show that the bath was in use. In the bath area itself, was a large communal bath. By the looks of it, there was probably enough room for about ten people at one time. It was just the single bath and changing area. Sakuya mentioned about how we should set times for when the boys and girls could use it. Makes sense. I don't want to end up walking in on a girl bathing and then be labeled as a pervert.

Before finishing the investigation of this room, Kiyomi commented on how she wanted to share a bath with me. I wondered how long it would take for her to mention that.

Before we left the room, I noticed that Kyo was staring at the ceiling for a long time. He is the Ultimate Observer, so he was mostly likely looking for something. As for what, is still a mystery.

Next door was a boiler room, which was as hot as you'd expect it to be. Monokuma showed up and briefly mentioned how it's used to heat up the bath and other areas in the Mansion. He also growled at us, giving us a warning to not mess with the settings. Also investigating this room were Michiru, Naoki and Nagisa. Nagisa appeared to have almost passed out due to the heat, resting against the wall nearest to the door. Michiru commented on how hot it was in there, with Naoki making a joke about 'how it wasn't as hot as her'. Judging by the expression on her face, this appeared to be the exact answer Michiru was hoping for. I think Kiyomi tried out the same trick on me, hoping for a similar response, but I just agreed with her. It was too hot in there to be concerned with making a joke or flirting.

A small gym room was at the end of the hallway. Looking at the variety of equipment available, I couldn't help but think of how Yosuke may have enjoyed this room if he were still with us. He mentioned how he liked to exercise a couple of times. Kou was also looking around in this room. He mentioned how the room didn't suit his tastes, and stated that he probably wouldn't be returning. Lucas then mentioned about how some of the equipment could be used as weapons if used a certain way, although it would be unlikely for someone to bring them out of the room due to their weight. Surprisingly, Kiyomi didn't have any flirtatious comments about this room, although she did mention that she didn't want me to spend too much time in this room. To be honest, I doubt I'll spend any time in this room. The most exercise I'll need is walking around the building for a bit.

The last new room was a library. It was surprisingly large, with a wide range of books available from a variety of different genres. Lucas commented on how the library has has back at home is much larger. While I'm not surprised by this comment, I do have to wonder how big that library actually is. In the corner of the room, I noticed Yuki, Yu and Mamoru gathered around something.

"What's going on?" I asked as I walked over.

"Mr Hare. Good timing." Yu replied. "Could you talk some sense into Ms Saito?"

"There's nothing wrong with this." Yuki commented, as she began poking different areas of the wall.

"And what is 'this'?" I asked, confused.

"She claims that there may be a hidden panel in the wall." Mamoru mentioned.

"And when I find it, I can hack into it and get us a way out." Yuki concluded.

"It's not going to work." Yu argued.

"But the wall feels hollow here!" Yuki countered.

Honestly, I doubt that will work. The mastermind wouldn't be dumb enough to leave anything that could help us escape. Especially with the Ultimate Hacker here with us. Part of me wondered why she'd even try this. Suddenly, I recalled the events of last night, with how I found her and Kyo in what sounded like a serious conversation. When I remembered that, I grew more concerned by her actions here. Could Kyo and her be planning something? I put these thoughts aside (mostly because I didn't want to think about them) and looked at the clock hanging above the door. Almost two hours have passes since beginning our investigations of the new floors.

"Looks like it's almost time to meet up with everyone again." I said, making sure everyone in the room heard me.

Yuki sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'll have to stop for now. But I _will_ find something to hack into before the week's up!"

With that, we all left the room ready to head back to the dining room. On my way down the stairs, I noticed someone walking further up the stairs. Curious, I decided to follow them.

Standing there on the fourth floor, was Kou, who began looking through the metal gates. He almost didn't notice my presence, but quickly took notice of me.

"Hayato, was it?" he asked. "Why are you following me?"

"I was curious as to why you walked up here." I replied. "It's almost time to meet up."

"Ah, yes. I guess it is." Kou replied, looking at a watch hidden under his sleeve. "But in regards to the former question, I guess you could say I was curious about something."

Without giving me a chance to ask, Kou began explaining.

"You see, given our current circumstances I have been reevaluating my stance on many things. Prior to this, I would frequently avoid extended periods of time spent with another individual. Like previously stated, this would be due to the fact that none of them suited my tastes. Now, I have found myself electing to become leader of a group. I find myself becoming a different person now. To be honest, this distance towards others began in my youth."

I really don't know why he's telling me all of this, but if he really wants to share it, then I have no issues with it.

"My family is actually quite wealthy. Due to this, I have been forced to act in a certain manner since a young age, and as a result, I find myself judging others when meeting them initially. Many of my 'friends' growing up were children chosen by my parents to become my friends, however I was able to tell this from a single glance in their direction. I avoided them as if they were the plague. As a result..."

At this moment, he froze.

"Why am I even telling you this?" the Gourmet wondered. "Perhaps you are finally meeting the expectations of my tastes. Regardless, let us meet up with the others and discuss our findings."

As we walked downstairs to meet up with the others, I couldn't help but wonder something.

What the hell was that all about?

* * *

As we all gathered in the dining room and shared our discoveries, I was only half paying attention. Many of the things everyone shared we all of the obvious things that I noticed already, while others shared their opinions on what to do next. But my mind was elsewhere. I had a lot of things on my mind. The conversation I had with Kou. What I overheard Kyo and Yuki talking about last night. That strange dream I had. I was too busy focusing on those things. Until I heard something that caught my attention. In fact, it caught everyone's attention.

"Hayato Hare, please report to the fifth floor of the Monokuma Mansion. I repeat, Hayato Hare, please report to the fifth floor of the Monokuma Mansion. Your Principal would like to speak with you."

Monokuma let out that announcement. We all remained silent for a moment. As shocked as I was by this summoning, I decided to do as the announcement says. It would be in my best interest to not piss off the crazy bear forcing us to kill each other.

Upon arrival on the fifth floor, Monokuma stood there in front of me. "Heya, Hayato-chan!"

I stared at Monokuma in disgust.

"Don't want me to call you Hayato-chan?" asked the bear. "How about a nickname, like that pink-haired chick gave ya! I'll call you... Hayachin!"

"Was there any real reason to you calling me up here, or did you just want to give me a terrible nickname?" I asked, wondering if he was just trying to waste my time.

"My nicknames are _not_ terrible! They're just... creative. But that's not why I called you up here." Monokuma replied, with a grin. "You look out of it today. Could something be bothering you? You can tell me. I'm your Principal."

I remained silent. It's natural that he'd notice that something was on my mind. After all, he was monitoring us constantly. But I'm more surprised that he asked me about it.

"Let me guess..." Monokuma began. "Wondering about your Ultimate talent?"

Not at all. But now that he mentions it... "Out of curiosity, do you know what my talent is?"

"Upupupu..." Monokuma chuckled. "Of course I do. You _are_ my student, after all. Although if I can be honest with you... it's not that impressive."

"In that case, it would be no trouble for you to tell me it, right?" I asked, hoping to learn the truth.

Monokuma thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll tell you. If you kill someone that is. Consider that your next motive!"

"I'm curious to know what my talent is, but not _that_ curious." I responded, with a sigh.

"Drat. Thought that may work." Monokuma responded. "But either way, a new motive is coming soon. Just want to let you know. If you do end up killing someone, I will tell you your talent though. Anyway, that is all. You may leave."

With another sigh, I turned around and proceeded to walk back downstairs.

"WAIT! Hayato!" Monokuma called out.

I turned around to hear what he had to say.

"How does Hayakuma sound?" he asked. "It'll make us sound like twins!"

* * *

With everything that had happened over not only today, but also over the past few days, I found myself retiring to my room shortly after concluding the discussions with everyone else. Upon arrival in my room, however, I noticed an envelope lying on top of my bed.

Sitting down at the edge of my bed, I picked up the envelope. Written on it was 'Hayakuma Hare'. There was no doubt this was Monokuma's doing. With little hesitation, I opened the envelope to find two things inside: a letter and a small card.

I began to read the letter, curious as to what was written on it. " _Heya Hayakuma, my long lost twin brother! LOL JK. In case you haven't realised it yet, this letter was written by your good friend Monokuma! How did I write this if I don't have thumbs, you may ask? Irrelevant! What is important is that I plan to share some information with you in hopes of starting the next killing! Upupupupu. But let me begin. Contained with this letter is a piece of card. Written on it is what I have discovered to be you biggest and most embarrassing secret. Go ahead. Check it._ "

Curious, I looked at the card and began to read what it said. Printed on it was...

"This is just my internet browsing history..." I commented, confused as to why Monokuma had a copy of this. I decided to continue reading the letter.

" _Yeah, you don't have much to hide. That's the worst I could find. Pretty embarrassing though. But good tastes... Either way, I plan to hand out similar letters to everyone soon as part of the next motive. But that's not all! All of these secrets I plan to use as a motive... There are copies hidden away in a box at some point in the Monokuma Mansion! Don't worry, the place isn't locked away. But they are hidden. Upupupu. Do with this information as you like. If you are the next person to become Blackened, then not only will I gift you with your freedom, but I will also tell you your Ultimate talent. Act soon to receive an addition 200 Monokuma Coins, and the freedom to make any one request to me! *Terms and conditions apply. See next motive for details. Additional charges may apply to those outside of the Monokuma Mansion._

 _Love from Monokuma Hare._

 _LOL. JK again._ "

I am truly at a loss for words. Is this supposed to be his attempt at convincing me to kill someone?

"Wow, it's like that toooootally awesome Monokuma isn't even trying." Monokuma commented, resting his arm against my shoulder.

"Looks like we agree on one thing." I agreed.

"I know. I _am_ awesome." Monokuma bragged.

"NO! About the fact that you're not even trying." I yelled. "Is this supposed to be your attempt at a motive?"

"Are you implying that I'm copying a motive I used for another killing game?" Monokuma asked, with a smug expression on his face. "Because if you are... That one hasn't happened yet, chronologically."

I have literally no idea as to what this bear is talking about.

"Look, the motive is that any one of you can find out everyone else's motives. Using this as you will, it may convince someone to commit murder to try to hide their secrets, or maybe someone will commit a crime as a result of the other's secrets. Upupupupu..." Monokuma explained. "That's all to it. I'm gonna tell the others in a couple of days, but I figured I'd give you a head start to see if you got the balls to try it. After all, I'm offering a pretty good deal. Oh, but the extra Coins and request no longer apply once I've announced the motive to everyone else. That's why it's a limited edition offer."

With this, Monokuma jumped off my bed and walked over to the door.

"Oh, and one more thing..." he said, turning around. "Share the details of the letter or conversation we just had to anyone, and it will count as breaking the rules. Meaning I'll have to punish you! G'bye!"

With that, Monokuma pushed open the door with very little issue, and walked out. It almost sounded like he greeted someone after he left the room, too. Wait. Was it always possible to open the door by just pushing it? Putting this question aside, I decided to rest early tonight, and headed into the bathroom to use the shower.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Well here begins Chapter 2. Before continuing with this I should mention something. In a new review left by someone, it was mentioned that the introductions that occur in the prologue went by a little too quickly. Looking back at this, while I agree, I may not be editing it much for a bit of time, due to needing to think of how to sort out the pacing, although a few edits have been made already.

Not many changes made, but it is worth mentioning that I changed Karen's title to Ultimate Imaginator, and Mamoru's talent to Ultimate Painter. A few minor changes have happened to the introductions for Kou, Michiru and Karen, too.

Moving on though! I really wanted to include some character development for some characters in this chapter, so I chose Hayato and Kou to start with. Coming up soon, I hope to include character development for other characters (such as Lucas, Yuki and Sakuya, for example). In addition, I wanted to include some funny Monokuma moments this time too. Just because it's fun to write as Monokuma.

On the topic of Monokuma, I should talk about the motive before I get any complaints or questions about it. No, it will not be the same as in DR1. I will be using secrets, like mentioned in the chapter, but it's not the risk of them being revealed to the world, but rather the risk of someone at random discovering your secret and you may not know. Also... Favouritism much, Monokuma? XD


	9. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 2

**Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet (Daily Life) - Act 2**

With a sigh, I layed back on my bed. So Monokuma wants to to commit the next murder, it appears. That's definitely not going to happen. While our current situation is not exactly ideal, I doubt anyone would be desperate enough to kill another to claim their freedom. Wait. Right... Haru. He was foolish enough to kill and he was executed for it. Part of me wonders if the Mastermind behind this is only putting us through this situation for their own enjoyment, or if there's a deeper meaning behind it.

I looked to my side. The letter Monokuma gave to me was at the end of my pillow. Did I leave it there? No, I could have sworn it was at the edge of my bed, where I found it. Eh, maybe Monokuma is just playing tricks on me. Although I can't say I'm not curious about the contents of that letter. A box with everyone's motives in, right? While it wouldn't be that easy to find, I began to wonder if it may be worth trying to find it. Not because I'm curious about everyone's secrets, but because if I'm the first to find it (and the first to know about it, if Monokuma can be trusted), then maybe I can prevent someone from using this as a motivation to murder.

I looked over at the clock. It was 6pm. While I doubt the hallways would be empty, considering the exploration we did today, I wouldn't be surprised if most people retired to their rooms already. I decided to head out to see if I could maybe locate that box. Thankfully, I was already in my regular clothes. After showering, I decided it was too early to change into pyjamas, so I put my regular day clothes on. Making sure to put the letter in a safe place and making sure I took my room key, I then walked out the door. Pushing it open with little difficulty, I recalled Monokuma leaving my room earlier. That was when I realised it. I did not close my door properly when I returned to my room earlier. I briefly considered if anyone heard my conversation with Monokuma, and began to worry about it. Maybe they snuck into my room and read the letter while I was showering. Maybe they _watched_ me shower. Chasing these thoughts out of my head, I continued down the hallway on the second floor.

* * *

Walking down the hallway, I considered where to check first. I recalled Yuki's words from earlier while in the Library.

 _ **"But the wall feels hollow here!"**_

Maybe the wall was hollow because there was actually the box hidden behind it. Curious as to whether or not I was correct, I headed into the library. Unfortunately, it was not empty. Sitting at a table and reading a book was Lucas. He seemed to be really interested in the book.

"Hey, Lucas." I greeted, deciding not to hide my presence.

Lucas looked up from his book. "Oh, hello Hayato. I'm surprised you're here. Nobody else has bothered to enter this room since our initial investigation. Makes it rather peaceful."

"I guess they just want to find other ways to spend their time." I commented. "So what are you reading?"

"Just a book about Ancient Japan. It's rather interesting." he said, shifting how he was holding the book. It was almost like he was trying to hide it's contents.

I walked over to take a look at the book. "What's it about then?" That was when I noticed comic like panels in the pages.

"Wah! Don't look over so suddenly!" Lucas cried, dropping the book on the floor. While the book was in fact a book about Ancient Japan, another book fell out from between the pages. It appeared to be a manga volume. Judging by the image on the cover, I would say it was a horror manga.

Lucas quickly picked up the two books and hid the manga.

"So you like manga, I see." I commented. "But why bother hiding it?"

Lucas sighed. "It's not really any of your concern now, is it?"

"Well, I guess not." I responded with a slight chuckle. "It's just strange that you're trying to hide it."

Lucas sighed again. "Fair point. If you must know, I had a rather strict upbringing. My parents weren't concerned with what I read, but my personal tutor hated the sight of manga."

"Personal tutor?" I asked, slightly confused. I then remembered that Lucas was the Ultimate Prince. I guess that means he was home schooled.

"Yes. While back in my home country, I had a personal tutor. This was in place of attending a normal school. Not that I minded, it gave me more of a freedom in what to study, in some aspects." the Prince explained. "This tutor, well... she wasn't exactly strict, but she considered manga to be a waste of time. If I was ever caught reading manga outside of my room, I'd receive a major scolding from her."

"Then why not just read in your room? That would make things easier, right?" I asked.

"I suppose so, but reading in a suitable environment is essential. I simply can't find myself interested in a book unless I am in a peaceful environment. This does not count my room. Hardly any places to sit comfortably." Lucas explained.

Well, maybe you could sit on your bed? That would probably be comfortable... Or maybe he's referring to the atmosphere of the room.

"Either way, I ended up getting into the habit of hiding the manga that I read behind a book of non-fiction. I usually end up panicking when people try to see what I'm reading."

"I don't think anyone here will judge you for reading manga, though." I reassured him.

"You may be correct, but it's still tough to break a habit." Lucas appeared to agree with me.

I can agree with him there. I remember that while in middle school, I had gotten into the habit of chewing the tip of my pens. I was able to break the habit eventually, however I went through a lot of pens during those few years because of that habit. Although I guess this is a little different to Lucas's.

Lucas sat in thought for a moment. "If I recall correctly, we haven't had many chances to talk, have we?"

Now that he mentions it, we haven't. Of course, there were times when we'd pass each other and briefly mention something, but that wasn't anything major. Other times were when exploring the building, but our conversations were mostly about the situation.

"I guess we haven't." I agreed.

"How about taking a seat then." Lucas suggested. "I'd like to talk for a bit longer. I never had many friends back home, so it's nice to have people my age who I can talk to."

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that the other day." I recalled, taking a seat opposite him. "I think you said you're only friend was your sister."

"Yes, but even then we'd rarely have to chance to talk or play, aside from when we were both still really young." Lucas said. "Although that's natural, considering we're from a royal family. She was next in line for the throne, so she was frequently busy with her duties."

"You said your sister had entered Hope's Peak last year right?" I recalled the conversation from the other day. "I hope she's doing okay..."

"Same here." Lucas agreed. "Hopefully she's not caught up in a situation like this."

"Upupupu... Wouldn't that be a bother." Monokuma commented, apparently trying to join in with the conversation.

"What the hell do you want?" Lucas impatiently asked the monochrome bear.

"I couldn't help but listen in on your conversation." Monokuma replied. "And I thought 'that story does not have enough despair! So I thought I'd add my own comments on what I know."

"... I'm listening." Lucas commented, curious as to if the bear would say something of use.

"There's a good chance your sister is... no longer with us." Monokuma said with a grin.

Lucas's face turned pale at this comment. "What do you mean, 'no longer with us'?"

"Perhaps she left the country and went on a tropical holiday!" Monokuma cheered. "Or, you know, she could be dead. Upupupupu... For the record, I don't know what happened to her, so this is just speculation. Tell ya what! Kill someone and I'll find out for you."

Lucas slammed his hand on his forehead upon realising he shouldn't trust Monokuma's word. "Oh for... I should know better than to listen to you."

"Yeah, you really should." Monokuma replied, walking towards to door. "Well, see ya later!"

With Monokuma gone, we sat in silence for a few minutes.

"That bear pisses me off." Lucas commented. "I can't believe I nearly fell for his tricks."

"Let's hope that's all that is then." I replied, trying to reassure Lucas. "You're sister is probably fine."

"Yes, you are probably correct."

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of person was your sister?" I asked, curiously.

"Kind, thoughtful, cheerful and polite." Lucas replied, cheering up slightly at the change in topic. "Though she had a strange fascination with the occult. She also had a great interest in Japanese culture. And for some strange reason was perfectly happy with the life we had back home..."

Things remained silent for a moment. I could tell from the last few words that the thought of his home frustrated him, although with a strict upbringing I could kind of see why.

"Do you... not like your home?" I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

Although hesitant to reply, Lucas soon responded to my question. "If I must be honest... no, I don't care much for where I live."

During this conversation, I then realised that I had no idea where Lucas was from. As if reading my mind, Lucas then continued talking.

"Right, I don't think I've told you where I'm from, have I? I am from a small European Monarchy called Novoselic." he explained. "Life there was pretty sheltered mostly due to my social status. I was rarely allowed the freedom to leave my castle's grounds, and rarely spent time with others my age. My only friend was my sister, but we rarely got the chance to speak. We were close when we did speak, however, when we actually got the chance to. Because I was frequently lonely I developed an interest in reading so that I could fill my spare time. When I began reading manga, I got hooked. To this day, I've actually read over two hundred different manga series."

Two hundred?! That's a lot of reading...

"I found the stories inside of the manga much more interesting than real life." he continued, feeling nostalgic. "I would usually imagine myself as a character in the story. It helped me feel less lonely. I almost didn't need to worry about the crazy rules I needed to follow."

Lucas continued to explain the joys he felt from reading manga. He then went on to talking about the popularity of anime back where he lived, and how he's watched over one hundred different anime series. Reading manga and watching anime... Not typical hobbies you'd expect a Prince to have, if you'd want my opinion.

"My hobbies were the only things keeping me sane, if you want me to be honest. While I didn't mind doing many of the things I needed to do as Prince, there were many rules which I considered... absurd." A look of disgust appeared on the Prince's face upon mentioning this. "Probably the most fucked up of all of them would be the rule as to where you must arrive at least thirteen minutes early to a meeting. Any later and you'd be severely punished."

"That definitely sounds fucked up..." I said, completely agreeing with Lucas's opinion of this rule.

"Yes. I recall one time, I arrived precisely twelve minutes early to a meeting and..." he shuddered upon the recollection of this memory. "Let's just say I cannot look at mayonnaise the same way again."

Although incredibly curious as to what on earth happened to him, I refrained from asking any further questions.

Finishing talking, Lucas collected the manga he was reading and headed off towards the door. "Hey, Hayato. Thanks for listening to what I've had to say." he said, turning around to face me. "I've never spoken to anyone else about this before out of fear of being judged. Yet I was able to talk to you about it... I guess this is what you would consider to be... **friendship**. Next time we're talking about you, however. Good night."

With this, Lucas proceeded to return to his room. Upon hearing some of his last words there, though... 'friendship'... I couldn't help but feel nostalgic myself for unknown reasons.

 _ **"You act like you're everyone's friend, but are you sure there are no ulterior motives behind this?"**_

Upon recalling those words in my mind, I shuddered. Whose voice was that, and why were they talking in such a mean manner? They felt like a distant memory, yet from not that long ago. With my mind filled with new questions, I looked over at the clock and noticed the time. While plenty of time left until nighttime, I considered heading back to my room to rest, before remembering the reason to came into the library.

With the library now empty, I decided to head to the corner and investigate the hollow wall Yuki had previously mentioned.

 _ ***CRASH* *SCREECH***_

These two sounds echoed from the hallway, and were followed by a girl's scream. Wasting no time, I rushed out into the hallway, praying that I didn't hear someone's attempt at murder. Upon reaching the hallway, I saw an... interesting sight outside the bath area.

Lying on the floor, bottom in the air, was Kiyomi. Wearing nothing but a towel. The sight alone almost gave me a nosebleed. Although I know I should check to see if she's okay, a part of me tells me to quietly return to the library before she makes the situation more awkward. Against my better judgement, I approach her.

"Kiyomi! Are you okay? What happened?" I asked her.

Kiyomi pulled herself up off the ground and embraced me. "Hayato Darling! Thanks for being concerned about me! Big question though. Did you see anything?"

With my face red with embarrassment towards this question, I gave a quick response of denying it. "No! Of course I didn't!"

Kiyomi stood there in thought for a moment. She then sat back down on the floor, recreated the position she was it, and spread her legs. "How about now?" she said in a flirtatious tone.

"Never mind that! What even happened to you?" I asked, helping her back onto her feet, making sure to not look at the area she was purposely displaying to me. "I heard a crashing and a screeching sound."

"Oh that? I was going to get in the bath, but forgot something, so I rushed out to get it and slipped." Kiyomi replied. "On that topic though, would you like to join me now that you're here?"

Now I know why I considered returning quietly to the library. I had a feeling she'd steer things this way. Without even letting me reply, Kiyomi grabbed my arm and began to drag me through the changing room and straight into the bath area. Where I was greeted with... all of the girls, nude, shocked to see me. I was even more shocked, however, as Kiyomi brought me in here _knowing_ they were all using the bath too.

"Wha! Kiyomi! What are you doing!" Kaede screamed, covering her body with her hands. "When you said you forgot something, we were _not_ expecting him!"

"Don't be silly!" Kiyomi replied. "Hayato Darling is just an added bonus! I figured we'd enjoy ourselves as a couple, considering I found him in the hallway."

I think a perverted grin appeared on Kiyomi's face at this point, but I'm not certain as I'm too busy staring at the wall out of politeness.

Yuki stood up and approached Kiyomi. "What Kaede is trying to say, is... You shouldn't bring a guy into a bath full of girls. Regardless of your relationship."

"Indeed. What you two do together is your business." Michiru commented. "Unless you plan to share him with us."

"You are seriously not helping." Kaede told the Popular Student, as a somewhat subtle way of telling her to shut up.

Kiyomi continued to argue with Kaede and Yuki while continuing to hold her grip on my arm. Throughout this, Michiru also offered her thoughts, although they were quickly ignored. Looking around, I made eye contact with Sakuya. With this, I sent her a signal to help sort out this situation. Thankfully, she understood my signal and walked over.

Sakuya then rested her hand on my shoulder and smiled. "I see no problem with him joining us." she spoke, giving a thumbs up.

I guess she _didn't_ understand my signal.

* * *

Following the... unusual situation I found myself in while in the bath area, I was somehow able to escape with my life when Yuki and Kaede kicked me out by force. And by force, I mean they used force on Kiyomi, considering she was the only one insisting that I stay. With her grip on my arm lost, I returned to my room, now extremely tired.

"Welcome home!"

I found myself almost ready to kill myself upon witnessing the view in my room. Monokuma was lying on my bed in a shell bikini. Surrounding him were red flower petals and a bunch lit candles. Hoping this would just go away, I left the room and closed the door. Returning to my room a few seconds later, everything was back to normal, and Monokuma just stood on the floor.

"You could have acted at least a little bit surprised." Monokuma complained.

"I seriously do not want to deal with this anymore." I commented, rubbing my forehead.

"I can see why. It's been an eventful day. Upupupupu..." Monokuma laughed. "But you may have forgotten something."

With this, Monokuma left and the monitor turned on.

"The time is now 10pm, meaning it is officially Nighttime! The doors to the dining area will soon be locked, with entry after that being strictly prohibited. And with that, I wish you all a good night."

With that I remembered two things. One: I forgot to check the hollow wall in the library. Two: I haven't eaten dinner yet.

* * *

"Hey! You got a minute?"

A voice called out to me. It was a male, and he wore the same uniform as me.

"You're Hayato Hare, am I right?" he asked. "I've actually been looking for you."

"What would you want with someone like me?" I asked in confusion.

"I've heard what some of the others around the school have been saying about you. A couple of people in my class were making fun of your talent earlier. People like that piss me off."

"You here to make fun of my talent, too?"

"No, quite the opposite actually. I personally really like your talent."

His words surprised me. Nobody has ever complimented my talent before. If you'd even call it a talent, anyway.

"It gives you more of a free range. Like, it doesn't limit you to a single pathway in life, but rather extends your pathway into every possible direction." he continued.

"Sorry, but... who are you?" I asked this boy.

"Oh, I guess I forgot the introduce myself." the boy replied. "Dan Honda, second year. Guess that makes me your senpai."

The boy laughed for a moment.

"Just call me Dan. I prefer it that way." he continued. "To be honest, I approached you today with a request."

"A request?"

"Yeah. The other day, a girl spoke to you about helping you out, right?"

Naturally I was surprised by this. How did he know? Did he overhear? Is he friends with her?

"I just want to say..." he continued. "Don't ever speak to her again. Please. She's bad news."

"Why do you think this?"

"Because I've seen the future. She'll stray you down a path in which you'll never be able to recover from."

"How do you know this? What do you mean you've seen the future?"

"It's because of my Ultimate Talent. I'm the Ultimate Psychic."

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Well that was fun to write more character development. Imagine the scenes where characters share parts about themselves as the free time events in the games. I plan to include more free time events as the story continues, but not every character will have time to be explored. And of course, some will have more than others.

Anyway, for now I'm gonna focus on more character development before the next murder occurs. Maybe the motive will be revealed to everyone in the next act or act after.


	10. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 3

**Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet (Daily Life) - Act 3**

"Good morning everyone! It is now 7am, meaning Nighttime is officially over! Get ready to greet another beautiful day!"

I awoke to the sound of the morning announcement. Although I had another strange dream last night, it didn't bother me as much for some reason. Although one thing was strange. That boy called himself the Ultimate Psychic. If I recall correctly, Kyo mentioned the Ultimate Psychic a few days ago. I briefly wondered if it was worth talking to Kyo about it. I'll probably talk to him about it when I get the chance to.

Deciding to get something to eat, I put on my clothes and left my room. Upon leaving, I was greeted by Sakuya and Karen, who were also on their way to the dining room.

"Hey there, Hayachii!" Sakuya greeted.

"Good morning, Hayato." Karen also greeted.

"Oh, morning Sakuya. Karen." I greeted back.

"Oh and sorry about yesterday." Sakuya added. "I totally misread your signal!"

"Don't remind me about it..." I shuddered upon recalling the incident in the bath area. "That was really awkward."

"How about this then! Next time we get in the bath, we'll offer you a formal invitation!" Sakuya suggested with a grin. Karen appeared to panic upon hearing this.

"I think I'll have to decline that offer." I responded. I don't want to imagine what would happen if someone were to find out about what happened.

"Suit yourself. I guess it's an invitation next time I'm in the shower!" Sakuya joked. At least, I think she was joking.

"While that would probably be less awkward, I think I'll have to decline that offer too." I calmly responded.

"Um... Onee-san? Shouldn't we be getting to the dining room?" Karen quickly asked.

Upon realising that we had just been standing around talking the whole time, the three of us made our way to the dining room.

* * *

Already gathered in the dining room were Kyo, Yuki, Michiru, Kaede, Yu, Mamoru, Naoki and Kou. Looking around, Kaede and Yuki tried to avoid making eye contact with me. Natural, considering the incident yesterday.

"You three are late." Kou scolded. "It is twenty minutes past seven. We're supposed to meet following the announcement."

"Calm down. It's not like they're the last to arrive." Mamoru reminded the Gourmet. "We're still missing Nagisa, Lucas and Kiyomi."

"Ms Sakura is always late." Yu reminded. "Although it is unusual for Ms Sora and Mr Nevermind to be _this_ late."

"Hey... You don't suppose anyone killed them, do you?" Naoki asked, fearing the worst.

"I highly doubt it..." Kyo responded. "Monokuma hasn't even provided us with a new motive yet."

"You seriously think he's going to give us a new motive?" Michiru questioned.

At this moment, I recalled my conversation with Monokuma from yesterday. There will definitely be a new motive soon.

With almost perfect timing, Nagisa ran into the room in a panic.

"Whoa! Nagisachii, what's up?" Sakuya asked. I couldn't help but notice she added '-chii' to the end of her name. I wonder how many people she's going to call using that.

"It's bad...! Kiyomi... and Lucas... are..." Nagisa quickly responded (well, as quickly as she can with the breaks she takes mid sentence).

Concerned as to what happened, Nagisa led us all upstairs onto the third floor. Standing next to the stairs were Kiyomi and Lucas. They were both in a heated argument.

"By all means. Try to throw me off the balcony." Lucas encouraged. "I'll just dodge. You'll end up falling to your death. It will count as a suicide and everything will continue as it was, except you won't be around."

"But if I fall that will be _your_ fault and will give you the perfect chance to escape!" Kiyomi argued. "And I refuse to give you the chance to leave!"

"You refuse die _and_ refuse to kill me? What was the purpose of calling me up here then?" Lucas questioned.

"I would never leave here without my beloved Hayato Darling!" Kiyomi countered. "And he will be mine alone! So stay away from him!"

Lucas remained silent for a moment. "The whole reason you called me up here and argued with me... was because you wanted me to stay away from Hayato...?"

With a swift response, Kiyomi nodded.

"You're an idiot." Lucas concluded. "Nobody likes an overly obsessive girlfriend."

"Says the virgin!" Kiyomi argued back. She's clearly acknowledged that she was in the wrong, which is why she's throwing back insults.

"While I may be a virgin, is it not true that you are also one?" Lucas countered.

"N-no! Actually! Hayato and I have already had sex several times! He took my first time just the other night!" Kiyomi argued with a complete lie.

"Oh really?" Lucas asked. "Hayato, is that true?"

It appears that Lucas has noticed our presence.

"She's lying." I confirmed, approaching the two.

"W-w-w-waaa... Hayato Darling!" Kiyomi called out in a panic. "But what about the other night! We spent valuable time together!"

"You slept in my room, stripped naked, tried to have your way with me, and failed. Stop telling lies." I reminded her. "And stop picking fights. Lucas has a point. Nobody likes an overly obsessive girlfriend."

As if admitting defeat, Kiyomi collapsed onto her knees and rested her hands on the ground. Ignoring her, Lucas turned around.

"I believe we should be heading back to the dining room now, right?" Lucas called out. It seems he was aware of everyone's presence.

Leaving behind Kiyomi and I, everyone proceeded to head back to the dining room.

"Kiyomi, stand up." I said, lending a hand to her.

"You... hate me, don't you?" Kiyomi quietly asked.

"I don't hate you." I calmly responded, half aware that she'd ask something like this.

Kiyomi's face brightened up as she looked at me. "Then will you have sex with me right now?!"

"I'm leaving..." I quickly responded, beginning to walk down the stairs.

"NO! Please wait!" I heard Kiyomi call out. Regardless, I continued to walk back down the stairs.

* * *

Following the morning meeting and breakfast, we all went our separate ways for the day. Before leaving, I decided to talk to Kyo.

"Hey Kyo. You got a minute?" I asked as I approached him. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh, Hayato. Good timing. I wanted to talk to you about something too." Kyo responded. "But now isn't the best time. Mind if we talk later?"

He has something he wants to talk to me about too? I wonder what. "Yeah, that's fine. When's best?"

Kyo thought for a moment. "Could you stop by my room at about noon? What I need to talk to you about is a private matter that can't be discussed in front of others."

I noticed his voice became louder at the last sentence. As he walked off, I turned around to notice Kiyomi standing within earshot. It appears that last sentence was directed at her.

"So what do you need to talk to him about?" she asked in a somewhat aggressive tone with a smile on her face. How she was able to ask that so casually I will never know.

"Uh... well..." I considered telling her, however I decided against it in fear that she may begin to pry. "Just some guy stuff..."

"I'm happy to talk about that kind of stuff." she added, still with the casual smile on her face.

"N-no thanks! I'd rather not talk about it with a girl." I responded, trying to get her to leave the topic alone. To be honest, I'd rather not talk to anyone about it, but I'd like to know who this Ultimate Psychic is.

"No, really! I don't mind!" Kiyomi insisted.

Looking around, I noticed Sakuya and Karen leaving the kitchen. Hoping for help, I made eye contact with Sakuya to hopefully signal her to help me. Upon noticing my signal, Sakuya nodded and ran over to us.

"Hey Hayachii! Kiyochii! What's up?" she greeted.

"Hayato-Darling is being suspicious." Kiyomi complained. "He doesn't trust me anymore!"

"I just wanted to talk to Kyo about something in private." I corrected. "It's about something I'd rather not discuss with someone else."

"But why can't you tell me?!" Kiyomi cried. "I'm your girlfriend! If you can't trust me, then who is left to trust?!"

Realising the situation, Sakuya tried to think of an excuse. "Uh... well... Maybe he's planning a surprise for you?"

Upon hearing this suggestion, Kiyomi's eye began to gleam. "Really?!"

"Uh... yeah! You got me." I continued with the lie. "I'm planning a surprise for you, so I don't want to ruin it for you by telling you about it now."

"That's so thoughtful!" Kiyomi cried, believing this lie. "In that case, I don't think I should get in your way."

As Kiyomi said this, she walked out of the room in a good mood. Without saying a word, Sakuya and I glanced at each other and smiled. Mission success! I knew I could count on you, Sakuya!

* * *

With still a few hours to kill before meeting up with Kyo, I decided to go for a walk around the mansion. Eventually, I found myself back in the Library. I had hoped to use this time to check for the hidden passage, unfortunately a few people had already occupied the room. Nagisa sat in the corner reading a book. Michiru was sitting at a table drinking tea and reading a book. She also appeared to be sitting on... Naoki? I decided not to question it.

Deciding to read something while I wait, I walked over to a bookshelf and looked at the selection. In the section I was at, there were many books about food. Cookbooks, reviews, and other types. Picking up one at random, I took a look at it.

' _The Toughest Critic. Best and Worst Recipes around the World.'_

The title itself made it sound impressive. Someone made reviews about different recipes worldwide? This may be worth reading. Before opening the book, however, I noticed the author.

' _by Kou Amagi'_

Kou Amagi. Is this the same Kou Amagi as the one trapped in this building with us? Considering he's the Ultimate Gourmet, it wouldn't be strange if he had written a review book. Curious about this, I took the book with me as I left the Library and attempted to find him.

After a bit of searching, I found Kou in the Gym room of all places.

"Hey! Kou!" I called out to him.

In a panic, the Gourmet turned around and noticed me. Upon realising it was me, he immediately calmed down.

"Oh, Hayato. It is only you." he responded, as if a weight has just been lifted from him. "What do you need? I am a bit busy... investigating. And not working out."

To be honest, I wasn't concerned about what he was doing.

"I actually wanted to ask you something." I said, getting right to the point. "Did you ever write a book?"

Upon hearing my question, a smile appeared on his face. "No, but I have always wanted to. To be honest, I have posted many food reviews online through my blog. scI have actually hoped to one day publish a book containing my reviews on different recipes worldwide and offer instruction on how to best prepare them. I had hoped to get it published during our first year in this school, but that may no longer be possible."

I was at a loss for words. So he wanted to publish a book, but never did? Then what about this book I found? It sounds like exactly what he had wanted to publish... I grew concerned by this.

"Out of curiosity, why did you ask?" Kou asked.

"Oh, I found a book in the library. Here." Deciding not to hid it, I showed him the book.

He grew surprised by the book, and without hesitating began to skim through it. A few minutes had passed before he stopped.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS ABOUT?!" he screamed, throwing the book at the floor. "These are without a doubt my reviews. Somebody is clearly using my identity to their benefit. Is what I would say, but..."

Silence followed for a few moments.

"Some reviews and recipes in here are ones in which I have not made public." the Gourmet continued. "Something is seriously wrong here..."

"You're telling me." Monokuma agreed, picking up the book. "This was not supposed to be in there. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Hayakuma. I'll have to check for anymore of these ' _obviously_ ' fake books."

With that said, Monokuma left as fast as he appeared to presumably check the library. 'Obviously'. The way he said that struck me as suspicious.

"That was strange. Not only did he stress the fact that the book was fake, but..." Kou commented. "Did the bear just call you 'Hayakuma'?"

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure why, but I think he's just making fun of me..."

* * *

When it reached about noon, I headed over to Kyo's room. As I was about to knock, the door opened and Yuki walked out.

"Oh, hey there Hayato!" she greeted. "You have some business with Kyo?"

"Yeah. We both had something to ask the other so he asked me to come to his room at about noon." I responded.

"Oh, that explains why he wanted me to leave." Yuki concluded. "Well have fun then!"

With those words spoken, she ran down the hallway. Following this, I knocked on the still open door and walked inside.

"Good afternoon, Hayato." Kyo greeted. "Would you mind closing the door?"

With a nod, I closed the door and walked further into the room.

"You and Yuki seem to be close." I commented.

"Oh, you noticed that." Kyo commented. "To be honest, we knew each other before coming here, but that isn't what you wanted to talk about, was it?"

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about something. Er... Someone." I responded. "The Ultimate Psychic."

"What's with the sudden interest?" Kyo asked.

"To be honest, I've been having some strange dreams recently." I explained. I told him about both of the dreams I had, including the details about the girl and the Ultimate Psychic.

Kyo thought for a moment. "That does sound strange. No doubt they're both connected, although the real question is how..."

"I thought it'd be best to tell you considering you mentioned the Ultimate Psychic before." I reminded.

"Yes, that was the right decision to make. Have you told anyone else about this?" Kyo asked slightly concerned.

I shook my head.

"For the best, probably." he commented. "Let's keep this between us for now. As for your question about the Ultimate Psychic, I can confirm that Dan Honda is in fact his name. If you are seeing these dreams, then you have probably encountered him before. The question is when... For now we should leave this topic alone until we have more details."

"Yeah, that may be for the best." I agreed.

"And now for my question." Kyo said, reminding me that he had something to ask. "The night in which we held the first class trial. How much did you overhear?"

I had a feeling he'd ask about this at some point. It was foolish to think that he didn't notice me. "So you _did_ know I was there."

"I _am_ the Ultimate Observer, after all." he reminded.

"I only heard bits and pieces. I couldn't make out much." I replied honestly. "I did hear something about seeing how things go tomorrow. Well, that would be yesterday at this point."

"Good. That is all you need to know." Kyo replied, relieved. "I am hiding something from you all, but that is only because I don't have a chance to tell anyone yet. But you can trust me. I'll reveal everything soon enough."

With those ominous words, I parted ways with Kyo and left the room. Although I learned something useful about my dreams, I also learned that there's more to Kyo than what meets the eye. Upon realising that we had been talking for over an hour, I decided to head to the kitchen to get some lunch.

* * *

On my way back to the kitchen, I recalled my conversation with Kiyomi this morning. That's right. I promised her a surprise. I took a slight detour and went into the shop and used the Monomono Machine. My prize was a ring with a daisy pattern. These rings are really common prizes. With this in hand, I headed to the kitchen and began preparing lunch.

Midway through preparations, Kiyomi ran into the room.

"Hayato-Darling! I've missed you so much!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around me.

It's only been a few hours...

"So what are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm just making lunch." I responded.

Kiyomi's face brightened up. "So you're planning a romantic meal for us? How thoughtful!"

"Uh... that's right!" I responded, playing along. Correcting her would be a fatal mistake.

While I now had to make extra food for Kiyomi, it didn't bother me much if it meant she wouldn't cause a scene like she always does. Upon the completion of the lunch, we headed out to the greenhouse because... I guess that's Kiyomi's favourite place here. Having picnic in the greenhouse has no become a sort of habit now, as we've done this three times already.

As we were eating, I recalled the ring that I had won.

"Oh, Kiyomi. Here." I said, handing her the ring. "A present for you."

In silence, she took the ring from me and placed it on the ring finger of her left hand. She then began crying, while displaying a huge smile on her face.

"Hayato-Darling! Yes! Yes! A million times yes!" she cried out, embracing me.

At this moment I realised that giving her the ring was my fatal mistake. She seems to be mistaking the ring for an engagement ring. WAIT, AN ENGAGEMENT RING?!

"No! You're misunderstanding!" I cried out, hoping to stop this as soon as possible.

Then, with the worst of timing, Sakuya and Karen walked into the greenhouse. Now I REALLY need to correct her.

"Whoa! What's going on here?" Sakuya asked, as the two approached us.

"Hayato-Darling and I are getting married!" Kiyomi cried out. Now I am certain that giving her the ring as a gift was a fatal mistake.

"What?!" Sakuya, Karen and I all cried out in shock.

"Why are you so shocked?" Sakuya asked, glaring at me.

"Because she's misunderstanding **everything**." I corrected. "All I did was give her a ring from the Monomono Machine as a gift, then she jumped to conclusions."

"Why am I not surprised..." Sakuya commented with a sigh.

"If that's the case... you should probably correct her soon." Karen added.

"You're right." I said with a nod. I turned to face Kiyomi. "Kiyomi, listen..."

I was quickly silenced by what I had saw. Kiyomi had stripped down to her underwear and was lying on the ground in front of me.

"How romantic would it be if our first time happened right here, right now?" she asked, with a lewd expression on her face. "What do you think of my underwear?"

Upon glance, she appeared to be wearing matching pink underwear. With close inspection, I noticed that some areas were slightly see-through.

"That's not what's important!" I reminded myself. "What are you doing?!"

Kiyomi lie there in silence for a few seconds before realising something. "That's right! We can't do it when I have these on!"

At that moment, she took off her bra and began to pull down her panties.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" I shouted.

"I... uh... We're just gonna be leaving now..." Sakuya awkwardly commented as she covered Karen's eyes.

"Onee-san, you don't need to cover my eyes..." Karen complained as she was dragged away by her sister.

"PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!" I cried out to Kiyomi. "YOU'RE MISUNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING!"

"How so?" Kiyomi asked, pulling her panties back up.

I explained to her that the ring I gave her was only meant as a present for her, nothing else. It took longer than I'd like to admit to explain this to her. Following his explanation, Kiyomi grew silent.

"How thoughtful! You'd rather wait until we are in a more ideal situation so that you can offer an epic proposal!" she cried out in joy.

"Sure, why not." I commented, deciding not to argue any further. "Now put some clothes on!"

"But I am wearing clothes." Kiyomi complained.

"A single pair of panties does not count. Put ALL of your clothes back on." I responded, turning around.

As I turned around, I noticed Yuki standing there with a nosebleed, whiling holding a water bottle.

"So, uh... Room for one more?" she casually asked.

* * *

After six in the evening, I retired to my room. To be honest, the whole situation wit Kiyomi had worn me out. I should probably tell Sakuya that I managed to resolve the situation. Although maybe I should leave out the awkwardness that followed.

When I question Yuki about how much she has saw, she told me that she saw everything since I gave Kiyomi the ring. It also appeared that she had gotten the nosebleed when Kiyomi stripped down to her underwear. I guess she swings that way. Nothing wrong with that, just found it surprising.

As a lay down on my bed, I heard a knock at my door. Heading over to it, I opened it to find Karen standing on the other side.

"Oh, Karen. Good evening." I greeted.

"Oh, uh... Good evening, Hayato." she responded, in a slight panic.

"Did you need something?" I asked, noticing she was hesitant to speak.

"Oh, yes! My sister told me to bring you to her room." the Imaginator replied. "She said it was... urgent."

"Oh, okay." I replied, unsure as to what was happening.

I picked up my room key, locked the door, and followed Karen to her sister's room.

When we arrived, Karen appeared to be in a sort of panic. I also noticed that the door was slightly open.

"So why did Sakuya want me for?" I asked, curious.

"She said that... uh... she was..." Karen became more quiet as she continued to hesitate.

"She was?" I asked, confused.

"She insisted that I bring you here..." Karen quietly replied.

Before I could get another word in, Karen pushed me into Sakuya's room and closed the door.

"Dammit." I commented, trying not to fall.

"Hayachii? That you?" Sakuya called out from her bathroom.

"Uh, yeah..." I replied, remaining by the door.

"Great! Glad you accepted the offer!" Sakuya responded, running out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel.

"What offer?" I asked, beginning to panic.

Sakuya was surprised for a moment. "Karen didn't tell you? I was about to head into the shower!"

For a moment, I was confused. That was, until I recalled our conversation this morning.

 _ **"Suit yourself. I guess it's an invitation next time I'm in the shower!" Sakuya joked. At least, I think she was joking.**_

I see... So she wasn't joking, after all.

"I thought I told you that I'd decline that offer..." I reminded her.

Sakuya began to awkwardly laugh. "I figured I should at least invite you anyway."

"Yeah... well, maybe another time. Or never." I replied, preparing to leave.

"Aww... So that's a no?" she said pretending to be upset. "Either way, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Curious as to what this was, I decided to listen to what she had to say. As I walked further into her room, Sakuya told me to sit down, so I took a seat on her bed. She then sat down next to me.

"Alright, I'm going to get straight to the point." Sakuya began. "I want you to break up with Kiyochii."

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Character development occurred! In case you couldn't tell already, Kiyomi is an overly obsessed girlfriend and a big pervert. Although, I think that was obvious enough already. And the Hope of a Gourmet is his plan to write a book! Okay, not really. That title means two things. Hidden Truth is a reference to the next motive of the secrets, although only Hayato's has been revealed. The Hope of a Gourmet refers to Kou, but more will be revealed later.

Apologies on the lack of chapters lately. I'll be trying to fix that soon.


	11. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 4

**Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet (Daily Life) - Act 4**

"Alright, I'm going to get straight to the point." Sakuya began. "I want you to break up with Kiyochii."

Kiyochii... Wait, she means Kiyomi, right? Why would she want me to break up with Kiyomi?

"I guess you want an explanation." Sakuya continued. "Look, you two being together is a big issue. Let me rephrase that. Her being around you is a big issue. She's acting too crazy."

"Well, I can't deny that." I replied, recalling the events of today. "She is overly obsessive and extremely perverted."

"Exactly. If she's not thinking about you, then she's perfectly norma... somewhat normal." Sakuya added.

So it appears even when we're apart, Kiyomi isn't that normal.

"There's no telling what could happen if we don't put a stop to it." Sakuya explained. "Right now, she's only stripping naked, but give it time and she may be willing to kill for your sake."

"I... can't deny that either..." I replied, admitting that she had a point. "But breaking up with her will cause it's own issues, don't you think? She might go crazy from it, and kill regardless."

"While that may be true, that would be easier to deal with, I think." Sakuya replied. "So what do you say? Will you be breaking up with her?"

I thought about this for a bit, but ultimately concluded that I shouldn't break up with her. "Sorry, but I'm not going to break up with her. If I talk to her about this, then we might be able to get her to change."

Sakuya sighed, and stood up in front of me. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this."

Those words made me panic slightly, as I grew concerned by what she was going to do. She then reached for the towel she was wearing, and let it drop to the floor, leaving her standing completely in the nude.

"If you break up with her, you can use my body as you like." she offered, with a lewd smile on her face.

As an instinctive reaction, I fell off of the bed upon hearing this. "Seriously?!" I cried as I pulled myself up off of the floor.

"Not good enough?" asked the Cosplayer.

Honestly, seeing Sakuya standing in the nude in front of me was a nice sight, but not enough to convince me to break up with Kiyomi. After all, she strips naked every few hours, so the sight of a nude female isn't a surprise to me anymore.

As I looked at Sakuya, she appeared to be waiting for an answer. I took another look at her body before asking her something. "Sakuya. Do you dye your hair pink or is it naturally that colour?"

"Huh? Well, I dye it, of course." she responds, slightly confused by my question.

"Okay, that makes sense." I concluded. "Then one more question. Why do you dye the hair you have ' _down there_ '?"

Although confused at first, Sakuya looked down and realised what hair I was talking about. She then picked up the towel and covered herself again.

"That's, uh... not important." Sakuya replied, in a panicked tone.

"Sounds kind of important, to me." I teased. "Either way, was that everything? I'm gonna head back to my room now."

"Yeah. That's all." Sakuya replied, sounding depressed.

* * *

As I walked back to my room, I recalled the letter Monokuma previously gave to me. I then recalled how I keep trying to check for a hidden panel in the library. Deciding to check it out, I headed there.

Surprisingly, the library was empty. Nobody was inside. Deciding to use this to my advantage, I headed to the corner which Yuki claimed was hollow and knocked on it.

"Definitely hollow." I confirmed.

Looking around, I noticed some markings blended into the corner at the floor. Upon further investigations, it appears that there was in fact a hidden panel. Digging my fingers into the markings, I was able to pry open the panel with surprisingly little resistance. Inside the panel, was a note.

' _Congratulations on finding the hidden panel! As a reward for finding this, I will present to you everyone's secrets for the second motive! Yaaaaaay! Enjoy...'_

I picked up this note and put it into my pocket before investigating further. However... there was nothing else inside.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Someone else found it before you." Monokuma commented, as he snuck up on me. "Which is weird, because I only told you about this."

"Dammit." I commented. "When did they find it?"

"Upupupupu... Believe it or not, it happened not even an hour ago." Monokuma taunted. "You missed it by less than an hour! How hilarious is that? If you didn't have that sexy time with the pink haired chick, then you may have found it first!"

"You know that wasn't what happened..." I told Monokuma, aware that he watched the whole thing.

"So true." Monokuma admitted. "Though if we tell people that's what happened, that will boost your popularity points by at least... one."

"Amazing Maths skills." I sarcastically replied.

"It's true though. Probably." Monokuma commented. "Tell you what though! Since you brought that book from earlier to my attention, I'll give you a hint!"

"The fact that that book's presence was an issue to you is a good hint itself." I reminded the bear.

"Upupupu... True, but this hint is about who found the secrets first!" Monokuma declared. "The person who found it was... one of the thirteen other students here!"

I remained silent for a few moments before replying. "Do you mess with the others like this, or is it only me?"

"I mess with everyone, although your reactions are the best." Monokuma admitted. "Later, Hayakuma-chan!"

With this, Monokuma left. With a sigh, I decided to head back to my room. I had hoped that would be the end of this, but unfortunately, it wasn't. If I had realised sooner that someone was listening in on the conversation, it probably could have been the end of it.

* * *

Waking up the following morning to the Monokuma announcement, I felt refreshed. Probably because I didn't have any strange dreams last night. Without hesitation, I got changed into my normal clothes and headed down to the dining room. As I was about to walk in, I heard a feminine scream.

"ARRRRRGGGHHHH! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

"ONEE-SAN! ARE YOU OKAY?"

"BITCH! I WILL KILL BOTH YOU _AND_ YOUR SISTER!"

Concerned by these three female voices shouting from inside, I ran into the dining room. Inside the room were Kiyomi, Sakuya and Karen.

Sakuya was leaning against the table with a fork stabbed into her left hand. Karen was naturally next to her sister, trying to help her by removing the fork. Kiyomi stood opposite them at the table holding a sharp knife. She had an angry look on her face.

"I know all about what you spoke to Hayato-Darling about yesterday, and what you tried to do to him." Kiyomi stated. "You tried to fucking seduce him and try to ruin our relationship. So as punishment, I will kill both you _and_ your sister."

"If you want to kill me, that's one thing. But don't you _dare_ do a thing to my sister!" Sakuya screamed, holding onto her left hand in pain.

"Oh, is that so? I'd like to see you try to stop me." Kiyomi taunted.

"Man, this is really interesting." Monokuma commented, standing next to me while eating popcorn. "Want some?" He offered me some of the popcorn.

"No thanks." I replied, wondering how Monokuma is even able to eat.

"Karen, get out of here." Sakuya told her sister.

"Bitch, if she tries to leave, I'll kill her first!" Kiyomi cried.

"Kiyomi! Stop this!" I called out to her. "You don't have to do this!"

"But I do have to do this, Hayato- _Darling._ They're in our way of having a proper relationship!" Kiyomi replied, in an ominous tone.

"It's true, you don't have to do this." Monokuma commented. "I mean, I'm all for another killing happening, but we kind of have to have a Class Trial! If you want to get away with murder, you'd need to kill all witnesses. That means even Hayato. Actually, there's a point. NEW RULE! Any one Blackened may not kill more than two people! Upupupu..."

"Good point..." Kiyomi commented. "Then I can at least torture this bitch!"

Upon saying this, Kiyomi ran towards Sakuya and prepared to stab her with the knife. Almost instinctively, I ran over to her and stopped the knife by grabbing it with my right hand.

"Hayachii..." Sakuya said, shocked by the fact that I may have just saved her.

"Hayato- _Darling_... Get out of the way." Kiyomi demanded. "We can be happy together if she's gone!"

"No." I responded, keeping my grip on the knife. "I won't let you become a murderer."

"What's going on in here?" Kyo asked, as he ran into the room. Following him were Yuki, Yu, Lucas and Nagisa.

Upon noticing what was happening, both Kyo and Yuki ran over to pull Kiyomi away. When her grip on the knife was gone, I released my grip too. Blood began to leak from my wound, but I ignored it.

"Let go of me! I'll kill all of you!" Kiyomi screamed.

"Go ahead." Monokuma encouraged. "But as soon as you kill a third person, I'll have to execute you. It's in the rules."

Upon saying this, Lucas checked his e-handbook. "Well, the rule is in there. Did you just add this?"

"Yep! Figured if one person kills everyone, then there wouldn't be any fun to this." Monokuma replied.

"So this _is_ just a game to you..." I commented, ignoring the pain in my hand.

"Okay, okay... How about this!" Monokuma announced. "There's a room with a first-aid kit and medicine on the third floor. I'll temporarily open up that room for you guys so you can treat your injuries. The catch is that only two people can accompany the injured! So, four in total. I'll escort you!"

"Oh shit, that is a lot of blood." Kyo commented. "We need to get you both there fast."

"I-I'll go!" Karen nominated herself to go.

"Me too." Yuki announced. "I know a few things about first-aid."

* * *

After Monokuma escorted us to the Infirmary room, he stated that he'd wait outside for us. Whether or not that was true or not is unknown, but I don't care either way.

While Karen was sitting with her sister, wrapping bandages around her hand, Yuki began to investigate my hand.

"Luckily Sakuya's wounds aren't that bad, however your wound is deeper than I thought." she commented. "We'll need to do some stitches."

Upon saying this, Yuki began to clean my wound. It's surprising that she knows how to do first-aid.

"I know what you're thinking." Yuki commented. "You're thinking it's strange that I know how to do first-aid."

"Heh. Yeah." I admitted. "Considering you're the Ultimate Hacker, I never expected you to have experience in first-aid."

"That makes sense." Yuki chuckled. "To be honest, I've known how to apply first-aid since a young age. I found myself in a situation where I was forced to learn it, and I just continued in learning it. Although I'm definitely better at hacking!"

With this conversation, I realised that there's more than what meets the eye with many of the students here. In fact, I even learned that Kou and Lucas even have hidden sides over the past few days. To be honest, I'd like to learn more about everyone here. Although whether or not that is possible considering the situation we're in... well that's another story.

"Okay, I'm going to apply the stitches now. This may hurt a bit." Yuki warned me.

The stitches did in fact hurt. After a couple of minutes, the stitches were applied and bandages were wrapped around my hand.

"Keep those bandages on for a few days." Yuki told me. "Also, make sure those stitches don't get wet. Don't want them coming out too soon."

Following this message, a monitor on the wall turned on.

"Hello everyone! I would like for you all to gather in the living room immediately. I have an important message for you all." Monokuma announced.

With this, the monitor turned off and Monokuma entered the infirmary room.

"Come on guys! We need to listen to that darned Monokuma!" the bear commented. "Come on! Let's go!"

* * *

Upon gathering in the living room, everyone else had already arrived. Monokuma then stood in front of us all.

"So... I bet you're wondering why I have gathered you all here today..." Monokuma spoke.

"You're going to give us a new motive?" Mamoru guessed.

"I'm going to give yo..." Monokuma began. "Yes. That's correct... Wow. Way to kill the moment."

With this, Monokuma took out a bunch of envelopes and handed them out.

"Go and read them. They contain your biggest secrets." Monokuma revealed.

I opened my envelope and inside was a single card. Like the one from before, it contained my internet search history. Looking around, many of the others were surprised by the contents of their envelope. After a certain amount of time passed, Monokuma began speaking again.

"Scary, right? I found all that out on accident, too!" Monokuma admitted. "To be honest, I was looking up secrets for some other people and accidently discovered a few of yours in the process. Ultimately I decided, 'Oh, why the hell not' and now these are your next motive. To be honest, somewhere in the building is a box containing all of your secrets. First one to find it will get to know everyone's secrets."

"And you think that's enough to convince us to kill each other?" Lucas asked. "I mean, my secret is embarrassing, but not something to kill over."

"Upupupupu... But can you talk for everyone?" Monokuma taunted. "To be honest, I had hoped I wouldn't need to use this motive. I had actually told someone about this beforehand, but they refused to kill someone! Can you believe it?"

"Perhaps that person isn't an idiot." I suggested to Monokuma, fully aware he was referring to me.

"Touché." the bear replied, staring at me. "Well that shut me up. I'm outta here!"

With this, Monokuma left us. After a few minutes of silence, someone finally spoke.

"I believe that we should share our secrets." Kou recommended.

"What?! Why would we do that?" Michiru questioned Kou's suggestion.

"To eliminate the motive as a whole." Kou replied. "Who is in?"

Everyone began to talk among themselves for awhile before a conclusion was made.

"I'm okay with it." I stated.

"Yeah, well I'm not." Michiru replied. "I'm out."

"Yeah, I'm with Michiru-sama." Naoki added. "I'd rather not reveal mine."

With this, Michiru and Naoki left the room.

"Sorry, my secret is something I'd rather not tell." Sakuya admitted. "I mean, a few people know it, but I'm not ready to tell anyone else."

"S-same..." Karen added. "It's just too embarrassing..."

Sakuya and Karen then left the room. Following after them were Lucas, Yu, Kyo and Yuki.

Left behind were Kou, Kaede, Nagisa, Mamoru, Kiyomi and I.

"So is everyone here willing to reveal their secrets?" Kou asked.

"Yeah, but is there any point now?" Kaede asked. "There's only six of us."

"That means the six of us will no longer have a motive." Kou reminded.

"Well, that makes sense." I commented. "I'll go first. Mine just says my internet search history."

With this, I showed everyone my card.

"Nice tastes." Kaede joked.

"Alright, enough. Who is next?" I asked.

Kaede was the next to reveal her secret. "I purchased a bunch of erotic anime figurines online using a fake name."

Following her was Nagisa. "When I... started my... blog, I created... over one hundred fake... accounts just to... help boost the... popularity."

Mamoru revealed his next. "I placed hidden cameras in every locker room and bathroom in my last school so I could watch the other students in a state of undress."

Then Kiyomi. "I take nude photos of myself each week."

To be honest, that one doesn't surprise me.

"Alright Kou, you're next." Kaede reminded the Gourmet.

"Alright, my turn then." Kou began. "I once left a bad review of a restaurant online which resorted in the restaurant closing down and the owner committing suicide. To be honest, the meal I had was among the best I ever tasted. I was just being unnecessarily strict."

Following us revealing our secrets, things became awkward for a little bit. Ultimately, we all decided to just ignore them and parted ways.

* * *

At about 10am, I headed into the dining room to get something to eat. Already inside was Sakuya.

"Oh, hey Sakuya." I greeted her.

"Hey, Hayachii!" she cheerfully replied. "How's your hand?"

"Eh... Could be better." I responded. "Don't think I'll be using chopsticks anytime soon though."

A sad expression appeared on Sakuya's face. "Sorry. That's all my fault."

"No, don't worry about it!" I reassured her. "I'm the one who injured myself."

"I still feel bad though." Sakuya admitted. "So I can be your right hand until yours has healed!"

"Er, well... That's actually pretty thoughtful." I replied. "But not necessary. And besides. Your hand is still injured."

"True, but the wound isn't that bad. And I'm right handed!" she cheerfully responded.

With this, Sakuya agreed to help prepare me some lunch and tried to feed me the parts that she thought I couldn't manage myself. Thinking about it, she may have made those with the intention of feeding them to me.

"Hayachii... About last night." Sakuya spoke. "Could you just... forget about what we spoke about?"

"Spoke about what?" I replied, as if to say 'already forgotten'.

"Thanks." Sakuya replied, smiling.

* * *

A few hours had passed since I had breakfast and I found myself sitting in the library, which was surprisingly empty.

"Oh, hello Hayato..."

Turning around, I saw Karen standing there.

"Hey Karen. Came to read?" I greeted.

"N-no. Not exactly. I wanted to talk to you about something." she timidly asked. "Could you... come to my room?"

When she said this, my heart skipped a beat. They way she asked that... made her sound cute. This cuteness of hers could be a deadly weapon... Regardless, I agreed to go to her room.

Upon arrival in her room, she closed the door and sat down on her bed.

"To be honest... I want your help." Karen told me. "I want to become stronger."

"How so?" I asked.

"I'm shy. I can barely do anything without my sister's help." Karen explained. "But I want to become more independent. You inspired me to do so, so I'd like your help."

"Well, I guess I can help." I replied, unsure as to what I can do. "But to be honest, you don't need my help. Just have confidence."

Karen remained silent for a moment. "But I don't have any... You're actually the only person I've properly spoken with without Onee-san with me. I just panic otherwise."

"For now, all I can say is try your best." I encouraged. "Because that's all you can do. Your best."

"I think I understand..." Karen commented.

"Okay, how about this? We can practice." I suggested.

Karen nodded with a smile. Tears began to appear in her eyes. "Yes! Thank you, Hayato!"

"Don't worry about it." I responded. "Shall we begin?"

"Actually, I have one more request..." Karen added.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Can I... call you Onii-san?" she requested. "You're like a big brother to me, so... if it's alright?"

"Oh, uh... I see no problem with that." I replied, blushing slightly.

"Thank you, Onii-san!" Karen happily cried.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Sorry this chapter took so long! I've been busy preparing for university so I haven't had much time to write. More delays may come soon, although I'd like to get to the next murder soon. I feel like a few characters may have already set up death flags. Can you guess who?


	12. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 5

**Chapter 2: Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet (Daily Life) - Act 5**

I stood in the living room facing Karen. We had been going over potential conversation topics for about an hour.

"Which is why we can never be friends. You're too weird." I said, giving an example of a response someone may give.

"Onii-san, this is a little weird." Karen timidly admitted. "Many of these conversations don't make sense."

"Be prepared for any conversation." I reminded her.

"I get that, but why did some of them start off rudely?" she asked.

"You never know when someone with a bad personality will talk to you." I replied.

"But nobody is like that, though, right?" Karen asked, wondering if someone like that existed.

"Hello there, peasants!" Michiru called out, entering the room as if on cue.

I faced Karen. "There's her for starters..."

"True... She can be foul mouthed." Karen agreed.

"Hey. Don't talk about me as if I'm not here..." Michiru complained, figuring out what we were talking about.

* * *

After some time had passed, Monokuma had set off an announcement calling everyone to the living room. Once everyone had arrived, he began to speak.

"So, uh... It's came to my attention that many of you are running low on clean clothes." he began. "To be honest, I completely forgot about laundry, so I will now open up to you all the Laundry Room! Filled with enough washing machines for you all to enjoy! It is located near the Monokuma shop! This would have been open sooner, but I just darn forgot!"

Following this, the bear left and a few people went to check it out. I'm glad that the room is now open to us, considering I was almost out of clean underwear.

* * *

Karen and I continued going over conversation topics until evening. It appeared that she was becoming more confident the more we practised. When we were done, we retired back to our own rooms.

While lying down on my bed, I recalled how I didn't see much of Kiyomi that day since Monokuma revealed the next motive. Part of me grew concerned by her lack of appearance, although another part of me was relieved that she didn't bother me. I knew that she'd freak out if she saw me and Karen together today.

With not much left to do, I decided to go to sleep early.

* * *

The following morning, everyone had gathered in the dining room for breakfast and a meeting. Well, I say everyone, but Kiyomi was strangely absent.

"Since we are all here, we shall begin the new meeting." Kou began. "I would like to discuss something Hayato had brought to my attention previously."

He's probably talking about the book. To be honest, I kind of forgot about that.

"Wait! Somebody is missing." Mamoru reminded everyone.

"He's right. Kiyomi is missing." Sakuya remembered.

"Who cares about her? She's a threat to us." Michiru complained.

"Which is why her absence is... unsettling." Kyo commented.

"W-well it's not like somebody tied her up and locked her in the gym or anything." Naoki commented nervously.

"Idiot..." Kou muttered under his breath.

"Naoki, did you lock Kiyomi in the gym?" I asked, wishing to confirm this.

"N-no!" the Basketball player quickly responded.

"Give it up, Naoki. You're not fooling anyone. Why did you do it?" Kou asked.

"Wha... But you told me to do it!" Naoki revealed.

An awkward silence fell through the room at this point, with many of us staring at Kou and Naoki. While Kou remained calm, Naoki definitely had a panicked look in his eyes. Eventually, Kyo suggested we go check in on the gym to confirm this.

* * *

Upon arrival in the gym, I immediately noticed that Kiyomi was tied up with a rope wrapped around her legs, and was tied up to some pieces of equipment with some other rope which was wrapped around her arms.

"Hayato-Darling!" she exclaimed with joy. "Be a babe and untie me, will you? 3"

To be honest, I don't know which is worse. How casual she is acting about this, how oblivious she is to everything, or how creepy it was to put that heart at the end of her sentence.

"Told you we should have taped her mouth shut." Naoki complained.

"Well, how would you explain this situation to everyone else then?" Kou retorted.

"Both of you shut up. This is still bad." Yuki commented.

"I understand why you two felt the need to do this, but couldn't you have discussed this with everyone before taking matters into your own hands?" Lucas questioned the two culprits.

"Look, when the next murder doesn't happen, you'll be thanking us." Naoki remarked, with a smug look on his face.

"Do you ever think about what you say _before_ saying it?" Kou argued to the basketball player.

"But that's assuming Kiyomi is the only person with intent to kill." Lucas reminded them. "Any one of us could become the next killer. Do you intend to detain us all?"

"Listen, you." the Gourmet began. "The whole purpose of this was to make sure the one who _almost_ committed murder doesn't get the chance to do so."

"But Lucas has a point..." Sakuya commented. "All of us may have a reason to kill with the new motive given to us."

"Unlike many of you, some of us shared our secrets." Kou impatiently ranted. "That eliminates us as suspects."

"Not really." Sakuya replied. "How can anyone be sure someone didn't _lie_?"

Lie? Could it really be possible someone lied about their secret? It's true that it could throw suspicion off of them in the case of a real murder if everyone believed that they had no real motive after all, but still...

As the argument continued, I looked over at Karen, who was quietly keeping to herself at the back of the room.

"Karen? You okay?" I asked, approaching her.

"Wahh... Onii-san?" she nervously replied. "Y-yes! I'm fine!"

It was probably just my imagination, but she sounded more nervous than usual.

"It's just that... after what happened yesterday, I don't feel comfortable around _her_..." she continued.

Right. That's understandable. Kiyomi _did_ threaten her. At this moment, upon realising that this argument among the group would not end soon, I suggested to Karen that we leave and go do something else.

* * *

The day continued as normal from this point. Karen and I spent most of the day together, as I helped Karen with her confidence boosting and conversation skills, although she did seem a little out of it for most of the time. Shortly before getting dinner, I confronted her about it.

"Hey, Karen?" I asked. "Is everything okay? You seem quieter than usual today."

"Oh, uh... Yeah? Everything is fine..." she timidly responded, as if she wasn't sure herself.

"Karen. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" I reminded her.

Karen sighed. "To be honest, I need some advice. You see, I recently learned something about someone that contradicts something they had previously said. This... something is important to someone else and I wanted to ask them about it, but I don't know how..."

"If you want, I can help you talk to them." I suggested. "But you'd need to tell me more about it."

Karen nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Onii-san! But I think I'd rather talk about this tomorrow. I'd like some more time to think of what to do.

* * *

About an hour or so following dinner, there was an incident in the Laundry Room. Upon entering the Laundry Room, I noticed Sakuya was frantically searching for something. Karen, Michiru, Mamoru and Lucas were also in the room.

"Hey Sakuya! What's up?" I asked.

"Hayachii!" she said in a somewhat aggressive tone. "Someone has stolen some of my panties!"

"Wait, what?" I said, concerned. "We have people stealing underwear now?"

"It gets worse." Lucas commented. "It seems incredibly likely it happened _before_ they were washed."

"W-we have no proof of that!" Karen reminded. "And besides, maybe you left them in your room, Onee-san..."

"I didn't! They were in with the rest of my laundry!" Sakuya reminded. "Somebody stole my dirty panties!"

Many of us were trapped in that room for a good hour before Sakuya finally calmed down.

* * *

Following that incident, the rest of the day was uneventful. By the nighttime announcement, I had already showered and prepared for bed. I found myself quietly drifting into sleep after a short while.

* * *

"Morning!" I greeted everyone as I entered the dining room. Sakuya, Lucas, Kyo, Yuki and Naoki were already gathered in the room.

"Ooh! Hayachii! Just in time!" Sakuya eagerly greeted. "Kou is about to share with us one of his special menu pieces!"

"Special menu pieces?" I questioned.

"Being a gourmet, I have had plans to create my own cookbook for a while now." Kou commented, entering the room with a tray of food. "I believe you already know about this."

Upon providing an answer, Kou gently placed the tray on the table in front of us. On the tray was a variety of different food. Meat, vegetables, and so on. Many of which were in unique combinations. They way many of each were cut were also in unique shapes. Some pieces of meat were also cut in very thin slices, while others had a more jagged edge.

As Sakuya took the first bite, I could tell from her expression that it tasted good. Curious as to what it tasted like, I went to have a taste too.

"Oh, Hayato." Kou commented. "I appear to have forgotten some of the spices needed to truly make this meal taste great. Would you mind fetching them from the storage room? Naoki, you go with him."

Almost reluctant, I headed into the storage room with Naoki.

"Aw man. I really wanted to try that food..." Naoki complained. "Let's just hurry up and find those spices. I'll check the shelves, you check those boxes."

Although I wasn't pleased by this task I was given, I decided to complete it regardless. As I was checking the boxes, I accidentally knocked a few of them over. As I reached down to pick them up, I noticed something... that should not have been there.

"Whoa! Hayato! You oka... HOLY SHIT!" Naoki screeched as he noticed the same thing I saw.

The out of place something had created a smell that was too familiar. Reminiscent of what I had discovered a few days ago. Glancing over, it was _definitely_ a dead body. Flesh had been cut from their thighs and arms. Hair had been pulled from their head. One hand was even missing a finger. Looking at their face, it appears their left eye was pulled from it's place. Blood was also dripping from their mouth. The very sight of this was too disturbing. One of us _actually_ did this? It terrified me.

At this moment, all I could think about was _her_. She couldn't know about this. But she'll have to find out eventually... I turned around, prepared to find her and share the news. But it was too late. Standing behind me, was Sakuya, staring at the corpse in front of us.

"NOOOOOOO!" she screamed. "KAREN!"

Sakuya ran up to the corpse as embraced it in her arms. That's right. Sakuya's younger sister, the timid Karen Minakami, had become the next victim.

 **Chapter 2: Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet ( _Deadly_ Life) - Act 5**

 **DING-DONG-DING**

"Upupupupu... It appears as if a dead body has been discovered! You will now be given a set amount of time to investigate! After a certain amount of time has passed, we will be holding a class trial! Good luck!"

I could barely hear the announcement. A combination of my own shock and Sakuya's tears appeared to nearly drown it out.

Following shortly after the announcement, Kyo, Lucas, Kou and Yuki ran into the room. Upon noticing Karen's body, Kou instructed Naoki and Kyo to gather everyone else. Following a short amount of time, everyone else (par Kiyomi) was gathered in the storage room.

"Well... This is a rather disturbing sight." Michiru complained. "I will be waiting outside while you all continue with this. Naoki. Tea."

"Yes, Michiru-sama!" Naoki eagerly responded as the two left the room.

"Well, how cold. It's almost like they don't care." Monokuma commented. "My bets are on them doing it. Upupupupu..."

"Could you please stop with the jokes?" I asked.

"But what if I'm serious?" Monokuma replied. "I could very well be giving away the answer right now!"

"But that makes it easier for us if that were true." I responded.

"But maybe I'm trying to trick you into thinking I'm telling the truth, when really I'm not, because I want you to think I'm lying even when I'm not because I really am!" Monokuma added.

"W... What?" I asked, confused.

"I don't even know anymore..." Monokuma replied, slightly disappointed.

"If you two are done with your comedy routine, could you please give us _that_?" Lucas asked in frustration.

"Yeah, sure." Monokuma quickly recovered, and handed me a small file. "Ta-da! It's... The Monokuma File!"

With that given to us, Monokuma quickly left. Before I got the chance to check the file, Sakuya stood up. Her clothes and face stained with her sister's blood, and tears running down her face.

"Hayachii." she said with a serious tone. "I want you to bring the fucker who killed my sister to justice."

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Another victim! To be honest, it kind of hurt to write that part. Killing her off wasn't easy, but it is necessary for the story I have planned.

And yes, the part with the Laundry room introduction was written in because I genuinely forgot to write it in sooner. XD


	13. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 6

**Chapter 2: Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet ( _Deadly_ Life) - Act 6**

 **Investigation - Start!**

I opened the Monokuma file and took a look inside.

"Victim: Karen Minakami. Time of death is estimated to be about 9:30pm. The body was found hidden behind some boxes in the storage room. Cause of death is either blood loss or shock. Pieces of flesh from the victim's thighs and arms have been removed. In addition, the index finger on their left hand and their left eye has been forcibly removed. Several strands of hair have also been pulled out, however this is most likely due to a struggle. Dried blood is coming out from the victim's mouth."

 _'Monokuma File #2' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

"So if the Monokuma file is correct, then whoever did this certainly made her suffer..." Kyo commented. "How... disturbing..."

"Someone actually did something like that to her...?" Kou responded, shocked. "I'm having trouble believing this... However, before we begin our investigations, I feel like there's an important matter to be discussed. Who will guard the body?"

Silence temporarily shrouded the room before a response was given.

"I'll do it." Sakuya said, tears still in her eyes. "I can't leave her alone..."

"Understandable, but we can't have you watch her on your own." Kou reminded. "What would we do if you were the killer?"

Judging by the look on Sakuya's face, she was clearly pissed off by this comment.

"What the fuck are you implying?!" the Cosplayer screamed. "Do you seriously think I killed my own sister?!"

"What I'm saying is that we cannot ignore the possibility." the Gourmet casually responded.

Before an actual argument could break out, Lucas stepped forward to volunteer to stand guard with Sakuya. Satisfied with this response, Kou left to begin his investigation. Many of the others followed. Left in the room were Sakuya, Lucas, Kyo and myself.

"Hayato." Kyo called to me. "Don't you think that was a little odd?"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused by the question.

"No. It's nothing. Forget I asked." Kyo responded, quickly changing his mind on the matter. "Let us begin investigating the body."

Agreeing with him, I knelt down to get a closer look at the victim. Looking at her arms and thighs, it was clear that pieces of flesh had been cut off. Naturally, the killer would have used a knife to do this, however due to the time of death, whoever did it would have had plenty of time to clean the weapon used.

 _'Victim's Arms and Thighs' have been added to your Truth Bullets._

Moving on, I took a look at her left hand. The index finger appeared to have been cut off.

"Judging by the shape of what's left, whoever did this did it in one clean slash." Kyo commented. "Whatever the weapon was, it must have been _really sharp_.

 _'Missing Index Finger' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

 _'Weapon' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

Looking at her face, the main damage would be her missing eye and missing strands of hair. Judging by the hair, it would appear that they were pulled out during a struggle. As for the eye... that was _definitely_ pulled out by force. The thought of it was almost enough to make me puke.

 _'Pulled out Hair' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

 _'Missing Eye' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

Upon closer inspection of her face, I noticed the dry blood coming from her mouth. To be honest, I felt tempted to open her mouth and take a look inside, however part of me felt as if I shouldn't. Upon noticing my hesitation, Kyo instinctively pushed me out of the way and took a look inside of her mouth.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing to her?!" Sakuya cried.

"Finding a vital clue." Kyo responded. "Take a look."

As he held her mouth open, Sakuya and I took a look inside and saw...

"Wait. Where's her tongue?" I asked, upon noticing its absence.

"Exactly." Kyo responded. "Her tongue is missing, yet the Monokuma file neglects to mention this."

"Couldn't that mean it has no relevance to this case?" Lucas suggested, dropping in on the conversation.

"Perhaps, but what the Monokuma file suggests makes me think differently..." Kyo reminded.

I recalled the words in the Monokuma file.

 _"Dried blood is coming out from the victim's mouth."_

"So are you suggesting the tongue was removed to hide the true purpose of the blood being there?" I asked.

Kyo responded with a smile. "It's possible. But we don't have much to support this theory yet."

 _'Victim's Mouth' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

There doesn't seem to be much left to investigate on the body. She's lying in a small puddle of blood, however that is due to her wounds. Before I could move on, however, Kyo called me over.

"Hayato." he called. "I have a request to ask of you."

"Sure. What is it?" I asked, approaching him.

"I'm sure it's nothing, but there's somewhere I want to investigate, and I was hoping you could accompany me." he requested.

* * *

Kyo lead me out to the bedroom areas. He then stopped outside a familiar room.

"Karen's room?" I asked, noticing where he took me. "Why are we here?"

"Because we'll need to investigate it." Kyo replied. "And _he_ can help us with that."

"Upupupu... You two are the second and third people who wanted to go in here today..." commented a familiar voice. It was Monokuma, who stood behind us. "I can let you in if you think it will help with the investigation. Will it?"

"It will, yes." Kyo replied.

With another laugh, Monokuma opened the door for us, before vanishing once we entered the room.

Looking around, nothing appeared too different than the last time I was in here. Recalling it was almost enough to make me cry due to the sadness. Without a word, Kyo began to look around the room, even looking inside the drawers and wardrobe.

"Strange..." Kyo commented.

"What's up?" I asked, curious as to the find.

"It's probably nothing, but..." Kyo revealed. "Remember how all of the guys have a toolkit and the girls a sewing kit? There does not appear to be a sewing kit in here."

 _'Sewing Kit' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

"You sure?" I asked, wondering if this meant anything.

"I cannot be certain, but there does not seem to be one in this room." Kyo repeated. "Either way, could you help me look for possible clues?"

I stood confused for a moment. "Why would there be clues in here?"

Kyo chuckled briefly. "You seriously think Karen ended up in the storage room at that time of night on a whim?"

That was when I recalled what Karen had told me.

 _ **Karen sighed. "To be honest, I need some advice. You see, I recently learned something about someone that contradicts something they had previously said. This... something is important to someone else and I wanted to ask them about it, but I don't know how..."**_

Wait... Could her killer be the one who she confronted. Nervous, I told Kyo about this.

"Then that confirms it." Kyo replied. "I believe that Karen found _that_."

That? Oh, right. He must mean _that_. After looking around for a bit, we found what we were looking for under her bed. The box which contained everyone's secrets. Wait, wasn't the box gone before Monokuma revealed the new motive to everyone? Did Monokuma tell her too? I recalled how after giving me the motive, Monokuma opened the door with ease, and how after I returned from the shower the letter was in a different place. I see... She must have overheard the conversation and snuck in through the open door when I was in the shower...

After setting the box up on the table, we began to check what was inside.

 **This person searched for the following online: Sayaka Maizono. Sayaka Maizono songs. How to get an idol to notice you. How to ask out an idol. Dance routine to Sayaka Maizono's songs.**

"Looks like it doesn't say the person's name." Kyo commented. "I wonder who's secret this is?"

"That's, uh... mine..." I revealed, embarrassed.

Kyo looked at me, and rested his hand on my shoulder. "I don't think any different of you."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" I called out, slightly annoyed by that remark.

Kyo chuckled. "Don't worry. I can show you my secret if you like, but be warned... It's rather surprising."

To be honest, I have no idea if I want to know or not. Kyo noticed my hesitation, probably, and shrugged it off.

"Tell you what. If we survive this trial, I'll tell you." Kyo suggested. "For now, let's check through these."

Looking through the secrets, I noticed a few that I recognised.

 **This person frequently takes nude photos of themselves.**

 **This person placed hidden cameras in the bathroom and locker rooms at their old school.**

 **This person created hundreds of fake accounts to help make their blog popular.**

 **This person created a fake account to order erotic anime figurines.**

And of course, many that I didn't.

 **This person has a sister complex.**

 **This person once had sex with five guys at the same time.**

 **This person never wears underwear.**

 **This person broke both the arms of a rival.**

 **This person thought Tennis and Golf were the same thing for nearly ten years.**

 **This person dyes their hair ' _down there_ ' pink.**

Many of them were strange. And I think I can tell who the last one was. Looking back in the box, I realised that the remaining secrets were... absent?

"Strange. It appears three of them are absent." Kyo commented.

 _'Box of Secrets' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

With nothing left to help us, Kyo decided to continue the investigation elsewhere.

* * *

We arrived back in the Storage Room, where Sakuya and Lucas were still guarding the body. As Kyo went back to investigating the body, I decided it may be best to confirm something with those two. I filled them in on what we found in Karen's room.

"Seriously?!" Sakuya responded, shocked. "So she was the one who found the box?"

I nodded. "It appears so. She may have confronted someone about their secret, and this may have been the end result."

"That does sound serious." Lucas commented. "But how can you be sure that the box contained the truth?"

"I confirmed that my secret was in there, as well as a few others that I knew." I responded. "I think I could also figure out your secret, Sakuya."

With this, Sakuya's face turned red. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

"The one about you dyeing your hair pink." I responded, with a smirk.

"Don't say it out loud!" she freaked out.

Lucas chuckled when he pieced it together. "Ha. So you even go that far."

"Oh shut up. I'm sure yours is worse!" Sakuya called him out.

Lucas turned deadly silent. "So what if it is."

"Oooh! Tell us!" Sakuya cheered.

To be honest, I'm curious which of the secrets was his too. Eventually, Lucas gave in and showed us his secret card.

 **Lucas Nevermind has a sister complex.**

Sakuya and I exchanged glances, before looking at Lucas and saying in unison: "Sis-con."

"That's enough!" Lucas shouted, putting the card back in his pocket.

"If you kids are done playing, I have important news." Kyo interrupted.

Approaching us, he showed off four cards. Three were the missing secrets, the other was her secret.

"Wait, where were those?" Sakuya asked.

"Inside her bra." Kyo replied. "I thought they'd be on her body somewhere, so I checked."

"Insensitive jerk!" Sakuya cried. "How dare you look under my sister's clothes!"

"It was strictly for the case." Kyo reminded. "Just read the card."

I read the card first.

 **This person has always wanted to eat human flesh.**

"Wait... Human flesh?!" I cried, in shock. "Is that right?"

When Sakuya and Lucas read the card too, they were also both in shock.

"S-seriously?!" Lucas barely managed to speak. "Who could this be?"

"Whoever it is, they're probably the reason why Karen was killed." Kyo commented.

"W-why do you think that?" Sakuya asked.

"It's pretty obvious if you think about it. Although, it could also be the other..." Kyo replied, getting quieter towards the end. I think I'm the only one who heard that last part, but I'll remain silent about it for now.

"Kyo. Was that the only card?" I asked, wondering where the other missing cards were.

"No. The remaining cards were here too." Kyo replied, handing me the other two.

"So what are the other secrets she had on her?" Lucas asked. "They could be important, if she had them on her person."

I read the first card.

 **This person pleasures themselves with their sister's underwear.**

That one was... uh... different?

"O-o-okay... What about the other?" Lucas asked, afraid to know what other secrets were there.

 **Karen Minakami pleasures herself with her sister's underwear.**

Silence.

"You know, that would actually explain _a lot_." Sakuya commented.

 _Your 'Box of Secrets' Truth Bullet has been updated._

While Sakuya and Lucas both commented on this newly revealed secret, I couldn't help but wonder one thing: where was the last card? There were 16 of us here. If we don't count the two who died before the motive was revealed, that makes 14. But I've only counted 13 cards. Could the last card be the one Kyo mentioned? Wait... I don't recall seeing Kou's anywhere. Why would that be missing? I decided to go ask him about it, but before I got the chance the leave, someone unexpected showed up.

"Oh, so that _bitch_ really was the next to die. Hmph. Good riddance."

A familiar feminine voice.

"Oh, you're here too, Hayato-Darling! 3" the voice added, now in a happier tone. And somehow with a heart at the end...

"Kiyomi." I said her name upon realising who it was.

"Heya, Hayato-Darling!" she greeted with joy. "How's it been?"

"Wha- How did you get out of the gym room?" Lucas asked, surprised.

"Someone let me out last night." she responded. "They told me that they killed this bitch, but I hadn't had the chance to check the scene yet."

"...ck out." Sakuya commented under her breath.

"What was that?" Kiyomi asked, casually approaching her.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Sakuya demanded, filled with rage. "How do we know it wasn't you who did this?!"

"Bitch, if it were me, then you'd be dead too." Kiyomi replied with a creepy smile.

"You bitch!" Sakuya screamed. "This _was you_ , wasn't it?! You killed her!"

"Heh. I _wish_ I killed her." Kiyomi coldly responded. "But like I said, **someone let me out**."

"LIAR!" Sakuya screamed. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

Kiyomi sighed. "Fine, I'll leave. But I'm gonna kill you soon enough, 'kay? 3"

Please stop putting hearts at the end of your sentences...

"Ah, wait." Lucas called out. "If I may ask, what time did this person let you out?"

Kiyomi stopped and thought. "Hm... Dunno. But it was after the nighttime announcement, I know that much."

"Any chance you also saw you let you out?" the Prince also asked.

"Nope. They didn't turn on the light, so I couldn't see them." Kiyomi responded, walking out. "Oh, but a couple of people did stop by before the announcement."

 _'Kiyomi's Account' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

Kyo stood in thought for a moment. "Thank you. That's useful to know."

"How is it?" I questioned.

With that, Kiyomi left. With this, I now had three leads to investigate: Kou's secret card, the gym, and the people who visited Kiyomi.

* * *

As I walked up the stairs towards the gym, I noticed Michiru and Naoki standing by the library.

"Hayato!" Naoki called out to me. "How's the investigation going?"

"Yeah, it's good. I need to check up on the gym next." I replied.

"Why the gym?" Naoki questioned.

"Kiyomi seems to have escaped. She says someone let her out, so I'm going to investigate." I responded.

"Ahah... Perhaps she was the one who committed the murder." Michiru commented.

"No, I doubt it." Naoki responded. "I checked up on her last night. I'm certain it was before the nighttime announcement."

"Why did you check up on her?" I asked.

"I decided to take a bath last night. Yu and Mamoru also had the same idea." Naoki explained. "We ended up talking about her, and decided to check on whether she was still there."

"So that eliminates that possibility." Michiru commented. "And I was so certain it was her. Especially considering that she wanted Karen dead."

"That's true..." I added.

 _'Naoki's Account' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

When I bid the two goodbye, I headed into the gym. Looking around, nothing seemed out of place. As I approached where Kiyomi was tied up, I saw the ropes remained on the floor where she was. As I looked closely at the ropes, I noticed something odd about them. They were still intact. In fact, it looked like somebody really _did_ untie Kiyomi. Either that, or she did a really good job at untying herself.

 _'Ropes' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

* * *

I stood in the hallway. Following my investigation of the gym, I didn't discover anything new. As I looked around for new clues, Kou called out to me.

"Hello there, Hayato." he greeted. "I take it your investigation is going well?"

"Oh, hey Kou. It's been going well. I learned of some important things." I responded to him. "Actually, why you're here, I'd like to ask you something."

"Go for it."

I told Kou about the box of secrets Kyo and I discovered in Karen's room, and how one secret was missing from the bunch.

"That certainly is strange..." he commented. "Do you have any idea as to who's secret it may be?"

"I'm pretty sure it was yours." I replied.

"M-mine?" Kou seemed panicked by this. "Why would that be missing?"

"I'm not sure." I replied, taking note of his response. "We also found a surprising one there too. One about eating human flesh."

Kou was even more shocked by this. "Seriously? I feel like the one who that secret belongs to is probably the killer. You know, considering the state of the body."

I agreed with this point. I shuddered to think of how Karen ended up dying. As we stood there talking, I noticed that Kou's hand was wrapped in bandages.

"Kou, did you injure yourself?" I asked, pointing at his hand.

"Oh this?" he responded. "Yes, this happened this morning while cooking. I got a little bit clumsy with the knife, so I had to bandage myself up. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but even I encounter issues while cooking."

 **DING-DONG-DING**

"Okay, I'm getting tired of waiting. Let's get this party started! I'll be waiting in the usual spot. By which I mean the red doors."

Upon hearing this, I headed towards the door and began waiting for the others. One by one, everyone showed up and the doors opened.

We stepped into the lift and slowly descended to the trial room. Throughout the ride down, I could sense a strange aura surrounding everyone. It was clear that many people suspected Kiyomi of being the killer, and I honestly would have too, if I hadn't been investigating.

The lift stopped and we all departed to enter a familiar room. We all stood at our corresponding stands as Monokuma sat on his throne. In addition to Yosuke's picture having a red 'X' over it, Haru's and Karen's picture both had the same treatment.

We stood there, ready to begin. The curtains opened to our new case. Will we survive this deadly class trial, or will we fail to uncover the truth behind this case?

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

The clues are coming together! I'll be honest, I wrote this a while back but forgot to publish it. Sorry if there are any errors that I failed to notice. This went through several versions. Also worth noting is that I updated Chapter 1 Act 2. I basically removed a conversation between the masterminds. It felt unnecessary, and I may even change certain parts to the story I had planned, making that scene unneeded. Anyway, new chapters should be updated more frequently? I've been busy with University, so I haven't had much time to work on this recently.


	14. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Act 7

**Chapter 2: Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet (** ** _Deadly_** **Life) - Class Trial**

Monokuma: "Now, let's begin with a simple explanation of the Class Trial!"

"During the Class Trial, you will present your arguments of who you think the killer is, and vote for whodunnit. If you vote correctly, when only the blackened will receive punishment. But if you choose the wrong person..."

"I will punish everyone besides the blackened, and they will then graduate!"

Kyo: "I believe discussing the condition of the body would be a good starting point."

Sakuya Minakami: "What's the point? It's obvious who killed her. It was that bitch, Kiyomi!"

Kiyomi Sora: "Really? You're gonna place the blame on me? What evidence do you have?"

Sakuya Minakami: "You claimed that you would kill both me and my sister, and now she's dead!"

Kiyomi Sora: "Doesn't mean that was me."

Sakuya Minakami: "Yes it does! **You escape from your imprisonment, then my sister gets killed.** "

NO, THAT'S WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Kiyomi's Account'._

Hayato Hare: "There's a few flaws with that comment, actually. Kiyomi claims that she was let out by someone."

"Also, Karen was killed _before_ Kiyomi escaped, not after."

Sakuya Minakami: "But how can we confirm that! She may have been lying!"

 _Present Evidence 'Ropes'._

Hayato Hare: "Actually, we can prove this. If you take a look at the ropes used to tie Kiyomi up, they appear to be neatly untied."

"Not the kind of condition they'd be in if she untied them herself."

Yuki Saito: "Whoa! He's right. Someone really did let her escape!"

Sakuya Minakami: "Okay, maybe that is the case. But there's no proof that she escaped after the murder!"

Hayato Hare: 'No, there is proof. Someone saw that.'

 _Present Evidence 'Naoki's Account'._

Hayato Hare: "Actually, Naoki can confirm that she was there until the nighttime announcement came on."

Naoki Inoue: "Yeah! That's right! Me, Yu and Mamoru checked!"

Yu Hayase: "It's true. I can confirm that the time we checked on her was about five minutes until nighttime."

Sakuya Minakami: "Well, that's... Uh... Okay. Fine. Maybe it wasn't her..."

Kiyomi Sora: "Told you."

Lucas Nevermind: "Now that that has been decided, let us get back to the main point."

Sakuya Minakami: "Alright... Where do we start?"

Kyo: "Perhaps we should focus on the victim's condition."

Michiru Hino: "What? Like the fact that she's dead?"

Kyo: "I was thinking more along the lines of the state of their body."

Lucas Nevermind: "So the injuries she sustained..."

Kyo: "I'd say they were more than just injuries. Hayato, would you care to present the evidence?"

 _Present Evidence: Victim's Arms and Thighs._

 _Present Evidence: Missing Index Finger._

 _Present Evidence: Missing Eye._

Hayato Hare: "For starters, she was missing some flesh on both her arms and thighs - I think that proves that there was more than just simple injuries."

"Also, one of her fingers and an eye had been removed. Someone did these with the intention of causing her pain."

Nagisa Sakura: "W-WAIT JUST A M-MINUTE!"

Hayato Hare: "Wh-what?"

Nagisa Sakura: "Y-you say th-that... But... is there any proof... That they weren't done after... her death?"

Hayato Hare: "Yes, there is."

 _Present Evidence: Monokuma File #2._

Hayato Hare: "The Monokuma File clearly states that the cause of death is blood loss or shock. The pain from all three of those were most definitely the cause of death."

Nagisa Sakura: "Oh... That makes... sense..."

Sakuya Minakami: "Okay, we've established her cause of death. But this doesn't bring us closer to the truth!"

Yu Hayase: "I'm afraid she's correct. But there's one thing we still need to discuss before we continue."

Sakuya Minakami: "What's that?"

Yu Hayase: "How was the killer able to keep her in the same place for long enough to deal that damage."

Mamoru Kurosawa: "Couldn't they have just threatened her?"

Lucas Nevermind: "She would have definitely resisted."

Kiyomi Sora: "Maybe she did. Isn't there any **evidence of a struggle**?"

YES, THAT'S RIGHT! - _Truth Bullet 'Pulled out Hair'._

Hayato Hare: "There is evidence of a struggle. It looked like some of her hair had been pulled out."

Kyo: "She most likely tried to escape, but the killer grabbed her hair, forcing her to stay."

Yuki Saito: "Wouldn't she still have made a noise though? How come none of us heard?"

Kyo: "The killer most likely covered her mouth with something."

Sakuya Minakami: "But with what? We didn't see anything that could have been used as a gag at the scene of the crime."

Kyo: "True. But the killer would have had plenty of time to dispose of it, or even clean it. Just like **with something else that is absent** _."_

YES, THAT'S RIGHT! - _Truth Bullet 'Weapon'._

Hayato Hare: "Right. The weapon is also absent. Because of her time of death, that left the killer with enough time to clean and dispose of any important evidence."

Naoki Inoue: "Wait. If the killer did that, then wouldn't that make it almost impossible for us to figure out who they are?"

Kyo: "No. There's still another factor we haven't considered. There's still another part of her body we haven't discussed yet which plays a role."

 _Present Evidence: 'Victim's Mouth'_

Hayato Hare: "Do you mean her mouth?"

Michiru Hino: "What about her mouth, exactly?"

Hayato Hare: "There was some dried blood on the outside of her mouth, and her tongue was missing."

Naoki Inoue: "Wait. How does that help us figure it out?"

Kyo: "I suppose there isn't much to support my theory, yes..."

Naoki Inoue: "What are you talking about?"

Kyo: "Nothing. Why don't we discuss something else for now. Like the motive."

Michiru Hino: "You really shouldn't change the topic like that. Now I'm all curious."

Kyo: "We'll come back to that point, don't worry. Hayato. What can you tell us about the motive?"

 _Present Evidence: 'Box of Secrets'._

Hayato Hare: "The Secrets? Well we found the box containing them all in Karen's Room."

Yuki Saito: "Seriously? She found them first?!"

Hayato Hare: "It's a little frustrating, to be honest. I knew where Monokuma hid them, but she beat me to the punch. He actually told me about them before everyone else."

Naoki Inoue: "Whoa! Seriously?!"

Lucas Nevermind: "Is there a reason you didn't reveal this to us sooner?"

Monokuma: "That's my fault. I told him to not say a word about it."

Yu Hayase: "But why did you not get them first?"

Hayato Hare: "I think... I left the door to my room open when Monokuma told me. Karen must have overheard, then checked the letter herself when I was in the shower."

Kyo: "Giving her more time than you to search for them..."

Kaede Ichinose: "Wait. All that aside... Are you saying that the motives are related to her death?"

Kyo: "Precisely."

Kaede Ichinose: "How?"

Kyo: "It's simple. She confronted someone about their secret."

Hayato Hare: "But how could she have known who it belonged to? They were kept anonymous."

Lucas Nevermind: "Maybe it was obvious it was them? Or maybe... She already knew their secret beforehand."

Kiyomi Sora: "So she eavesdropped on those of us who shared our secrets? But none of our secrets were _that_ bad. And besides. She could have confronted us sooner."

Kaede Ichinose: "But what if one of us lied. She could have realised that upon seeing the box of secrets that one may have been missing, so she confronted them."

Kyo: "That is the case."

Mamoru Kurosawa: "And how exactly do you know this?"

Kyo: "Because I eavesdropped too."

Kaede Ichinose: "Not cool."

Kou Amagi: "BUT WAIT! THERE'S A PROBLEM!"

Naoki Inoue: "Damn. You finally speak and that's what you say?"

Kou Amagi: "We're all working under the impression that the box with the secrets in contained accurate secrets! What if they were fabricated?"

Hayato Hare: "Not likely. I found my own secret in there, as well as Kiyomi's, Mamoru's, Nagisa's and Kaede's. I confirmed a few others too."

Lucas Nevermind: "Exactly. So that factor is unlikely."

Michiru Hino: "Didn't Kou also stay behind to reveal his? Couldn't you confirm his, too?"

Hayato Hare: "Actually, his was for some reason missing. And I counted. One was missing."

Michiru Hino: "How odd..."

Yu Hayase: "Moving that aside... How can we confirm which secret may have caused the murder to occur?"

Kyo: "I'll read out the secrets that we have yet to confirm."

"This person thought Tennis and Golf were the same thing for nearly ten years."

Naoki Inoue: "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?!"

Kyo: "This person broke both the arms of a rival."

"This person never wears underwear."

"This person once had sex with five guys at the same time."

Lucas Nevermind: "I'm beginning to think we should all sit down and seriously discuss these secrets at some point. They're a cause for concern."

Kyo: "And finally... **This person has always wanted to eat human flesh.** "

Sakuya Minakami: "I knew it. That one was the most suspicious... The one with that secret killed my sister!"

Hayato Hare: "It adds up too... After she confronted them about it, they gave into their urges and..."

Kyo: "And now we need to confirm who it is."

Kou Amagi: "Hang on a second... The only one who hasn't had their secret confirmed is you, Kyo! How do we know it isn't your secret?!"

Kyo: "I suppose it's only natural you'd assume that. Hayato, take a look at this."

(Kyo handed me a card. On the card was written:

 **Kyo -n-h-a failed to prevent the end of the world.**

 _'Kyo's Secret' has been added to your Truth Bullets._

I was shocked upon reading this. But I quickly handed the card back to Kyo and regained my senses.)

Hayato Hare: "It's not Kyo. His is something different."

Nagisa Sakura: "But... who could... it be then?"

Hayato Hare: ' _Actually, looking back, there's only one person it could be.'_

 **Character Chosen - KOU AMAGI**

Hayato Hare: "Kou. Could it have been _your_ secret?"

Kou Amagi: "Wha- Don't be ridiculous! You know what my secret is!"

Hayato Hare: "But yours is the only one we can't account for. Could it be that you lied about yours?"

Kou Amagi: "Of course I didn't! There are still four other people who's secret haven't been confirmed yet! How do you know it isn't one of them?!"

Michiru Hino: "Are you implying it was one of us?!"

Kou Amagi: "Well I don't hear you admitting your secrets!"

Naoki Inoue: "Do we really have to?"

Hayato Hare: "I don't think that's necessary."

Naoki Inoue: "Okay, good..."

Lucas Nevermind: "I think your one was obvious, anyway..."

Kou Amagi: "My point still stands. You have **no proof that I lied about my secret**!"

NO, THAT'S WRONG! - _Truth Bullet 'Kyo's Secret'._

Hayato Hare: "Actually, we do have proof. Kyo just revealed it to us."

Kou Amagi: "So how exactly does his secret prove my guilt?"

Hayato Hare: "I originally assumed that the missing secret was yours, but instead the missing one was Kyo's."

"He probably took it from the box before I realised it was there."

Kyo: "Actually, I found it on her body. In other words: The missing secret was mine all along."

Kou Amagi: "Wha- What was the point in that?"

Kyo: "To be honest, I just didn't want anyone to know. Even if it was anonymous."

Sakuya Minakami: "So the one who killed my sister... Was you, Kou?!"

Kou Amagi: "Okay, look. I may have lied about my secret, but that itself provides no evidence that I killed her!"

Yu Hayase: "Mr Amagi does have a point. Is there any further evidence that could point towards a killer?"

Kyo: "There is. It's the point I made earlier."

Hayato Hare: "About Karen's mouth?"

Kyo: "Precisely."

Kaede Ichinose: "How does that relate thought?"

Kyo: "There was another reason for the tongue being removed. Care to take a guess?"

Hayato Hare: ' _What could the reason be?'_

 **Where was the blood on the victim's mouth? - Outside.**

 **Why would the tongue have been removed? - To cover for blood that was already there.**

 **Who would the blood already there have belonged to? - The Killer.**

I'VE GOT IT!

Hayato Hare: "The reason for the tongue being removed... could it be because the blood on the outside of her mouth wasn't hers?"

Mamoru Kurosawa: "But who could the blood have belonged to?"

Hayato Hare: "It could be the killer's."

Kyo: "Precisely. My theory is that the victim bit their killer as a form of resistance. The missing tongue isn't referenced in the Monokuma file, so it most likely is unrelated to her death."

"After they killed her, our suspect realised their blood was on her mouth, but it was already dry. As they didn't want to stick around for too much longer..."

Hayato Hare: "They removed her tongue to cover for the blood, so they didn't have to waste time cleaning it up. Plus it added to the mystery."

Kou Amagi: "But how does that point to a killer?!"

Hayato Hare: "It just means we need to look for something to identify the killer."

 **Bite Mark**

Hayato Hare: "We need to find someone with a bite mark on them."

Sakuya Minakami: "Kou. Prove to us that you don't have any bite marks."

Kou Amagi: "Do you want me to strip?! I am not the killer! There's nothing that points to me!"

Hayato Hare: ' _No. There is something. But what is it?'_

 **B-A-N-D-A-G-E-S**

Hayato Hare: "The bandages on your hand. You said it was because you cut yourself cooking, right?"

Kou Amagi: "Right. What about it?"

Hayato Hare: "Take them off."

Kou Amagi: "Why would I do that?"

Hayato Hare: "To prove to us that it was just a cut."

Kou Amagi: "If I remove the bandages I could very well bleed to death! Is that what you want?!"

Monokuma: "Well it _would_ make things more interesting..."

(Upon saying this, Monokuma popped up next to Kou, removing the bandages on his hand, before returning to his seat. Looking at Kou's hand... there was a bite mark.)

Sakuya Minakami: "You... fucker! So it really was you!"

Kou Amagi: "I suppose there's no hiding it now. It was me. She confronted me about my secret, and told me that she knew my real secret. The one about eating human flesh..."

"She threatened to expose me, so I panicked... And attacked her. I only intended to threaten her at first, but..."

" _The taste was too good._ "

(Upon saying this, Kou begins to laugh maniacally)

Yuki Saito: "That's... messed up."

Kou Amagi: "It tasted so good. I had to get more. I even took some with me."

(Kou reaches into his pocket and takes out a small plastic bag. Inside was... an eyeball.

Sakuya stares in horror as Kou removes the eye from the bag and places it into his mouth, before swiftly gulping it down.)

Sakuya Minakami: "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!"

Kou Amagi: "I suppose I am. But I am a kind monster. It tasted so good, I knew I had to share it."

Lucas Nevermind: "What are you-"

Kou Amagi: "Remember how I cooked breakfast this morning?"

(My face turned white as I realised what he was implying. He... used pieces of Karen's flesh in the meal this morning...

I turned to face Sakuya. Her faced had become even more pale when she realised what he meant. She collapsed onto the floor and threw up.)

Michiru Hino: "Gross. What was that for, Sakuya?"

Sakuya Minakami: "I... ate... it..."

Michiru Hino: "Huh?"

Lucas Nevermind: "Urgh... The meal Kou prepared this morning had Karen's flesh included, didn't it?"

Kou Amagi: "Hehehe. Bingo."

Lucas Nevermind: "Sakuya ate some of the meat..."

Michiru Hino: "Wha- So she..."

Kou Amagi: "She ate part of her beloved sister... and didn't even know! She even complimented the taste!"

Kyo: "And that's that. I'd say we're ready to vote, but Hayato. Would you care to summarise the case?"

Hayato Hare: "Right. Here is how it most likely went down!"

" _It all started before the official reveal of the motive. For some reason, Monokuma revealed this in advance to me beforehand._ _Putting this aside for a bit, I decided to take a shower, however I was unaware that my door was actually left open. During this time, Karen had entered my room and read through the letter, which convinced her to find them herself. When_ _I prepared to go and find the box before anyone else, afraid of what might happen if someone else found them, I headed into the library to check a hollow part of the wall, as previously mentioned by Yuki. A series of coincidences made me unable to check it for some time. Karen, however had found the box before I had."_

 _"Nothing happened for a few days, until Monokuma officially gave the new motive. The killer, afraid of getting their secret revealed, suggested the idea of sharing our secrets among each other, to eliminate the need for anyone to find the box. Of course, they never intended to reveal their actual secret. During this time, Karen was listening in on the conversation despite not wanting to take part in it herself. When she heard what the killer said, she was surprised, as that secret was not found in the box. This faced her in a troubling position where she questioned if she should confront them. After asking for my advice, she gained the confidence to confront them."_

 _"Not wanting to freak anyone out, she called the killer to the food storage room to keep things secret. She confronted them and said she knew they lied about their secret. She showed him two cards: one of revealing their actual secret of being interested in eating human flesh, and the other being Kyo's. During this conversation, Karen said to the killer that she'd expose their secret, as she believed it was something we had the right to know. The killer, not taking well to this, threatened her."_

 _"Without giving Karen chance to escape, the killer pulled on her hair, and grabbed a knife. To threaten her, he used the knife to cut into her arms and thighs, and... ate some of her flesh. To fight back, Karen bit into their hand. Aggravating the killer further, they proceeded to... well, I'll omit the details, however the end result was the loos of several pieces of her arms and thighs, the loss of a finger, and the loss of an eye. Either the shock caused by this, or the amount of blood she lost built up and resulted in Karen's death."_

 _"The killer knew they had to cover up their crime, and was limited in time due to the location they were in. Seeing the blood on her face, they proceeded to cut off her tongue - and most likely took it with them - so they could create a reason for the blood being there. Soon after, they cleaned the knife and any other key pieces of evidence, before properly disposing of them. They left the kitchen area before it was locked when the nighttime announcement occurred. But they knew Karen's body would soon be found, so they needed a find someone to pass it off onto."_

 _"Recalling how Kiyomi had been locked in the Gym room, they headed over when they knew the coast was clear, which just so happened to be following the nighttime announcement. Leaving the room in darkness, they freed her without giving away their identity. They also most likely told her about Karen's death. They did all of this to throw all suspicion onto her, knowing that she'd have been the most likely to go after Karen. But they didn't count on Naoki, Yu and Mamoru having already checked up on her not long prior."_

 _"The following morning, after having... enjoyed what they took from Karen, the killer headed to the kitchen and offered to cook breakfast, which they did using pieces of flesh they took from Karen's body. They then fed this to Karen's sister, Sakuya, but knowing the body wouldn't remain hidden for long, the killer asked for me and Naoki to head to the storage room, counting on us to find the body."_

 _"And the person who did all of that..."_

 _"Was you, Kou Amagi!"_

Hayato Hare: "And that's what happened."

Kou Amagi: "Very perceptive."

Sakuya Minakami: "Why... Why did you do that to my sister?!"

Kou Amagi: "If it makes you feel any better, it could have been anyone."

(Sakuya finally pulls herself up from the ground and walks over to Kou. She then punches him in the face with fulls strength.)

Monokuma: "Order in the court! It's clear who did it at this point, but we must finish properly. Everybody! It's voting time!"

The same as before, a slot machine appeared in front of Monokuma. The words 'Monokuma Vote' appeared above it. The slots began to spin, deciding on who was chosen. After a few seconds passed, they slowed down, and the three slots all landed on Kou Amagi's face.

As if celebrating, flowers and ribbons fell from the ceiling above it, with a bouquet of flowers appearing next to it.

 **CLASS TRIAL END: ALL RISE**

* * *

"Whoa! Who would have guessed?" Monokuma exclaimed. "The one who made a meal out of and killer Karen Minakami was... the Gourmet - Kou Amagi!"

We all stood in place, silent. I'm sure we were all thinking the same thing. How could Kou have possibly done that to Karen? As I thought about what could have gone through his mind, I glanced over at Sakuya. While she had an angry expression on her face, tears were also falling from her eyes. I could only imagine the pain she must be feeling right now.

"To be honest, I can't stand to look at this thing any further." Michiru comments, facing Monokuma. "Could we just get the punishment over with."

"Sure thing, Princess!" Monokuma remarked. "You ready?"

"Bring it." Kou calmly responded, walking over to the bear.

"Upupupu... Let's give it everything we've got! It's punishment time!" the Monokuma exclaimed, hitting a big red button using his gavel.

 **KOU AMAGI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY**

 **TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT**

 _Kou was sat at a table in a makeshift_ _restaurant. Surrounding him were a bunch of other empty tables, each with another Monokuma sat. The room he was in was lit by candle light. A Monokuma in a chefs hat approached him, holding a tray of food. The food varied in type - chicken, beef, salad, potatoes and so on. Without giving him a chance to think, Monokuma attempted to force all of this food into Kou's mouth. Realising there was no results from this, Monokuma walked out, with the other Monokuma's following._

 _A few seconds pass before the floor from below Kou disappears, causing him to fall into a large bowl containing boiling hot soup. Struggling to face the burning pain, Kou attempts to swim to the edge. As he does this, the Monokuma's throw various ingredients into the bowl and towards Kou, knocking him further back._

 _A fire is lit underneath the bowl, heating it up further. Kou's skin turns red from the heat as he screams in pain. Feeling as if he's almost done, Monokuma presses a button, causing a lid to fall onto the bowl, preventing escape._

 _Steam quickly builds up from under the lid and the screams stop. Monokuma turns off the heat, and approaches the front of the bowl, where a tap is placed. The Monokuma's all line up, as the Monokuma chef runs the soup out of the tap and into each bowl._

 _Kou Amagi... was dead._

"Upupupu... That was a good meal." Monokuma laughs. "Anyone else want some gourmet soup?"

Nagisa points at Monokuma. "You're... a monster."

"Uh, no sleepyhead. I'm a bear." Monokuma responds. "And it's not unusual for bears to eat people. Or in this case, people to eat people. Upupupupu..."

We all stood in silence once again.

"Seriously? No one? I thought I was a good chef too..." Monokuma sulked. "You're all dismissed for the day. Go off an do... whatever you usually do. Just don't kill anyone yet, I need to get things cleaned up. Executions are messy work! Oh, you can kill again tomorrow, though!"

We all headed towards the lift back to the Mansion. The whole ride we all remained silent. I can't blame them. We learned a new side of one classmate today, and we have no idea if any of the others hold dark temptations like that either. If this keeps going on, then it'll only be a matter of time before we all stop trusting each other completely.

As everyone parted ways, I looked at the time. It was currently about 5pm. Realising I once again have not eaten yet, I prepared to go towards the kitchen. As I did, I noticed Sakuya walking up to her room. I considered calling out to her, but refrained from doing so.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Well that's another chapter done! The epilogue of Chapter 2 will be next. I should also say I'm going to put a bit more focus on Hayato's dreams over the next Chapters. I'll hopefully post the new chapters soon. Also, care to take a guess as to who the other secrets belong to? I'm actually planning to include references to them for some character development in the chapter 3, so look forward to that!


	15. Chapter 2 - Hidden Truth - Final Act

**Chapter 2: Hidden Truth! The Hope of a Gourmet - Epilogue**

Having just finished eating, I retired back to my room. Honestly, I didn't really feel like eating after what happened today, but I was starving, so I didn't have a choice. Sitting on my bed, I recall everything that has happened to us while we were here. I shudder at the thoughts. Deciding to find some way to pass my time, I head over to the library in hopes of finding something to read.

* * *

As I enter the library, I see Kyo standing by a bookshelf staring at a book. When he notices my presence, he calls me over.

"Hayato. Take a look at this." he tells me.

Walking over, I look at the book he's reading. ' _The Toughest Critic. Best and Worst Recipes around the World'_ _by Kou Amagi_.

"What?! Why is that here?" I questioned. "I thought Monokuma took that back?"

"You knew about this book?" Kyo asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I found it the other day, but Monokuma took it back, saying it shouldn't have been there. I asked Kou about it but he said he never wrote a book."

Kyo stands in thought. "I see... But there's something even stranger."

Saying this, he hands me a note.

' _Attention students: As a reward for clearing two class trials I shall allow you to keep this book. Make use of it, as it's important. Upupupu..._

 _\- Your Headmaster, Monokuma (Hayato's BFF).'_

"Putting Monokuma's dumb comment aside..." Kyo begins. "This tells us that this book's existence is important."

I nodded in approval. "I agree. To be honest, I think Kou was going to tell everyone about this the other day, but then stuff happened like it always does."

Kyo sighs. "I see. I think we should share this information with everyone else tomorrow. For now, I'm going to further investigate the book, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead." I replied.

With the book in hand, Kyo left the library. I left soon after, picking up a book about a group of teenagers trapped in a fight to the death. I suppose the story interested me, considering how it relates to our current situation.

* * *

Shortly after having returned to my room, I hear a knock on my door. It was faint, but I heard it. Opening the door, I see Sakuya standing there, facing the ground.

"Sakuya..." I say to her, concerned. "How are you holding up?"

She looks up at me and I can see the sadness in her face, tears still in her eyes.

"H-Hayachii..." she quietly sobs my name, throwing her head into my chest. "It hurts... Why did she..."

She didn't need to say anything else for me to realise what she wanted from me. She wanted a shoulder to cry on. She didn't want to be alone at the moment. We both take a seat on my bed, and Sakuya continues to cry, resting her head on me the entire time. I simply sat there, allowing her the time to let out all of her emotions, which she's been keeping in all day.

I don't know how long we remained like that, but before I knew it, Sakuya had fallen asleep on me. Not wanting to disturb her, I simply let her stay before eventually falling asleep myself.

* * *

I found myself once again sitting in a dark classroom. The voices of other students badmouthing me continued. I ignored them, like always. Some people in the main part of the school always do this. Not everyone, but enough for it to get on your nerves. The reserve course students aren't any better. In fact, they're worse. But this isolation from the others... is caused by my own classmates talking bad about me.

As I prepare to leave, I hear someone speak up.

"Hey! Why don't you all just shut up!" a feminine voice calls out.

I turn to face them as the room brightens up. A girl with pink hair wearing a maid uniform stands there.

"You're all just insulting his talent without even bothering to get to know him first!" she scolds them.

"Whatever. I just don't get why that's considered a talent." replies another girl, this one with long blonde hair in pigtails.

"What's your talent again?" the pink haired girl asks. "Being popular? Are you really one to talk?"

"Hey! Don't you dare talk about Hino-sama like that!" a boy with black hair screams back.

As I stand there watching, I feel awkward. I consider leaving. As I'm stood by the door, a familiar boy approaches me. It's Dan.

"Are you really going to leave while she's defending you?" he asks. "You could help her out."

"What's the point? It'll only make things worse." I question.

"This really is the best chance to put your ability to the test."

"What do you mean?"

"They're calling your ability useless. Why don't you prove it to them that it isn't."

"But what if they're right? I shouldn't even be here."

"Everybody who enters this academy enters for a reason. You just need to find yours."

I think about these words for a moment, before turning around. I'm not sure what I'm doing, but I'll know when I get there.

"Hey!" I call out to the group, determined.

"What, Mr Useless Talent?" the girl with pigtails asks, annoyed.

"Again, stop with that!" the pink haired girl scolds her again.

I face the pink haired girl and smile. "Thanks for your help, I can handle it from here."

I face the other students. The girl with big tails and the boy with black hair are both from my class. Two other students stand there with them. They look familiar, and I'm pretty sure they're also in this class, but I don't think I've ever spoken to them.

"If you really have a problem with me, then you really should say it to my face." I tell them.

"Oh? Am I not being loud enough from the distance?" the girl comments rudely.

"No, you're being plenty loud." I calmly respond. "I just want to put all of this behind us."

"What are you...?" the girl questions me.

"I don't know if there's any real reason behind your behaviour towards me, but I'd like it if we could just be friends instead."

I keep saying random things, in hopes of making the situation better. Strangely enough, it eventually works. The girl calms down, and the other students apologise and leave. They admit that they don't really hate me, but were simply following the other girl's lead. I didn't learn what the girl had against me, but she seems to have calmed down at least.

"All right. I'll back off for now." she comments, walking off.

"If you ever need anyone to talk to, just let me know!" I call out to her.

The pink haired girl walks in front of me.

"And here I thought you were never going to stand up for yourself." she comments.

"Someone finally gave me the motivation to do something." I replied, smiling.

She smiles back. "Well it's good either way. Anyway, I don't think we've ever spoken before."

I think back. We haven't spoken. "No, I don't think we have. I'm Hayato Hare."

She smiles again. "Nice to meet you, Hayachii."

* * *

Kyo and Yuki were seated in the changing room. Each of them held a notebook and a pen. After looked around once more, Kyo writes something on the paper and shows it to Yuki.

 _'All seems clear. No cameras in here, but audio bugs may be located.'_

Yuki nodded. "Man, am I looking forward to relaxing in the bath."

She then wrote something down and showed it to Kyo.

 _'Got it. Continuing the conversations like this should be preferred.'_

"Agreed. But there is an issue with that though." Kyo responded. ' _With how things are right now, we've put the mastermind on edge._ '

"Oh? And what's that?" Yuki inquired. ' _Our conversation from following the first murder probably made them aware of out connections, if they didn't already know.'_

"The fact that you, a girl, and myself, a guy, are both intending to use the bath at the same time." Kyo reminded her. ' _That was the plan. They probably feel threatened now. It'll help us draw **them** out.'_

"I won't tell if you won't tell." Yuki teased. ' _True, I guess. How many left?'_

"I hope you're not planning something naughty." Kyo laughed. ' _The information was vague, but I believe that leaves two_ _. Whoever they may be.'_

"Not like there are any rules against it. Plus the bear hasn't stopped us yet." Yuki laughed. ' _It's hard to believe things are coming true, just like he said.'_

"While the bear may not be against it, what if the others walk in on us? Could you explain it to them?" Kyo added. ' _The first case happened exactly as he predicted, but the second one... Only the killer was the same.'_

"Well, we could have them join us?" Yuki suggested. ' _Yeah. He predicted that they would killer each other, right? So why was Karen killed?'_

"You and you're perverted thoughts..." Kyo sighed. ' _No clue. Could mean that **his** influence is changing things.'_

"Don't act like you don't love it." Yuki teased. ' _I guess. Let's hope the rest changes for the better though.'_

"Whatever. I've grown tired now. I'm going to head back to my room." Kyo says, standing up. ' _Let's just hope Hayato and the other four remain alive. We've already lost one, don't want to lose another._ '

The two nod at each other, before Kyo walks out of the room. Yuki remains seated and looks at another sheet of paper, stained slightly with blood on the corner. Several fold marks appear to be on it. She reads it one more time, before hiding the paper under her clothes.

* * *

I found myself awake some time before the morning announcement. Looking around, I notice Sakuya has already left.

I recall the dream. Something about that dream was... unsettling. Everything once again felt real, yet not. Taking a look at the time, I realised there were still several hours until the morning announcement. Deciding to clear my head, I left my room to go for a walk. I found myself standing outside the changing room for the bath. I take a look inside before heading in myself.

To help myself relax, I decide to head into the bath, but before I begin to undress, I notice a notepad lying on one of the shelves. While I know I shouldn't pry, I considered if it was something else which was left by the mastermind. Opening the notebook, I read the pages.

 _'Got it. Continuing the conversations like this should be preferred.'_

' _Our conversation from following the first murder probably made them aware of out connections, if they didn't already know.'_

' _True, I guess. How many left?'_

 _'It's hard to believe things are coming true, just like he said.'_

' _Yeah. He predicted that they would killer each other, right? So why was Karen killed?'_

' _I guess. Let's hope the rest changes for the better though.'_

I stared at the pages in shock. What is this supposed to mean? And who could have wrote this? I reread the pages, and recall the conversation between Kyo and Yuki which I overheard the other day. Could this have been written by one of them? What are these connection? Who are these five they're talking about? What does Karen have to do with this? As these questions filled my head, I heard footsteps from behind me. Slowly turning around, I notice Yuki standing there, wearing only a towel. It looked like she just got out of the bath. The way she was staring at me filled me with fear. Before I get the chance to say anything, she runs towards me, covers my mouth, and holds me tightly.

"Don't make a sound." she whispers into my ear. "We're being watched."

We're being watched? What is she talking about? Monokuma is always watching us, so she doesn't need to remind me of that. Unless... someone else is watching us?

"I'll explain everything later." she once again whispers. "For now, I want you to do as I say. After what I do next, I want you to push me away, and run back to your room. Don't speak about this to anyone. Got it?"

I slowly nod. When she acknowledges this, she pushes her face closer to mine and locks her lips with mine. Shocked, I find myself unaware of what to do next. I quickly recall what she just told me. Without hesitating, I push her away and run out of the room, rushing back to my bedroom. On the way, I heard another voice. I don't know what they said, but they sounded annoyed.

* * *

When I returned to my room, I fell back onto my bed. Can I go a single day without something like that happening? I briefly consider the possibility of my Ultimate Talent being luck, but quickly pass that off. Of course that isn't me. There's already one for my year. It's... Wait. Who's name was I just thinking of? More importantly, how do I know about them if they're not here with me?

Lying there in thought for a moment, I recall the dreams I've been experiencing. The first one had me meet a girl from the school who was willing to help. The second had Dan Honda, the Ultimate Psychic, talk to me, and warn me about the girl. And the third one... had Dan Honda convince me to stand up to the people bullying me over my talent. My talent. These dreams are of times at Hope's Peak Academy, that much is now certain. But why am I having these dreams? As I think about this, I close my eyes and find myself slowly falling into sleep once again.

* * *

I found myself sitting in the communal area of my dorm. I sat down at a table with my lunch, however was unable to eat. As I sat in silence, a girl with bright blue hair approached me.

"Hey Hare-chan!" she greeted me with a smile, sitting opposite me. "Bad day?"

"Eh. The usual." I responded.

She stared at me, displeased with my response. "So it _was_ a bad day!"

"Don't worry about it. Things got better."

She was intrigued by this comment. "Oh? How so?"

I explained to her what had happened earlier, and how the pink haired girl had came to my defence. Upon hearing this, her face gleamed with excitement.

"That's great to hear! You finally made a new friend!"

"Yeah, I guess. She seemed a little weird though."

"Hare-chan? You even looked around our class? Heck, our school? A lot of people are weird."

I chuckled at that comment. "Yeah, that's true. I mean, just look at your hair."

The girl stared at me defensively. "What about my hair?"

"I mean, it was green only a few days ago. Why change it so suddenly?"

"Why not? No harm in it."

"Yeah, but weren't you feeling too ill to go to school all week?"

"Geez! I'm fine now! Quit complaining before I dye _your_ hair blue."

"You wouldn't." I challenged her, thinking the threat was hollow.

"Keep your doors locked at night." she playfully warned me, with a wink. "Anyway, I should get going."

"You have plans? Finally got yourself a date?" I teased.

As she stood up, she ran towards me and hugged me from behind. "What, and leave you all alone? No, I'm meeting up with my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? She's in the Reserve Course."

"No, you haven't told me."

The girl let go of me and walked towards the door. "I'll introduce you two sometime. She's super cute. Probably your type! But I can't let you have her. That would leave _me_ all alone."

"Whatever." I laughed it off. "Have a good time."

"Thanks, I will. See ya." she bid farewell and left the room.

I sat there in silence following this, and continued to eat my lunch, now in a better mood.

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat. This dreams... What could they mean? And who was that girl? As I go over the events of the dream in my head, it becomes clearer. Now I have no doubt about it. Before this... I have already been a student at Hope's Peak Academy.

 **End of Chapter**

 **12 Students Remain**

* * *

And there's the end of that chapter! These dreams are providing important information. For those curious, I have some interesting backstories prepared for many of these characters and there will be more references to the main Danganronpa series.


	16. Chapter 3 - Traitorous Secrets - Act 1

**Chapter 3: Traitorous Secrets (Daily Life) - Act 1**

With the morning announcement having just played, I found myself leaving my room earlier than usual to head down to the dining room. When I arrive, I find myself the first one there. Preparing myself a light breakfast of cereal and juice, I take a seat in the dining room and begin eating. Eating in silence for a change feels somewhat relaxing. Not long later, Kyo, Yuki and Lucas arrive.

"Oh? You're early today, Hayato." Lucas comments, surprised that I'm already here.

I laughed. "Is it really strange for me to be here first?"

"I suppose not." Lucas replied, taking a seat.

Shortly later, Yu, Mamoru, Nagisa and Kaede show up, followed by Michiru and Naoki, the latter of which quickly enters the kitchen.

Kyo looks around. "It seems that Kiyomi and Sakuya are the only ones absent."

Naoki places a cup of tea next to Michiru. "Here you go, Michiru-sama."

"Ah, good. You have now reached the point where you know to bring me tea." Michiru compliments(?). "Good progress."

Kyo sighed. "You could at least pretend to sound interested."

"I doubt Sakuya will show up anyway. Not after what happened yesterday..." Kaede comments.

"To be honest, I can imagine that." Mamoru adds. "Monokuma barely gave her time to grieve."

"Mr Kurosawa makes a valid point." Yu comments. "Ms Minakami may still be in her room."

"Leave her." Kiyomi calls out, swiftly entering the room. "It's not like she'll be of much help anyway."

Without hesitation, Kiyomi runs over to me and embraces me.

"Hayato-Darling! I've missed you! 3" Kiyomi cheers, draining the life force out of me.

"Ki...yo...mi..." I mutter, unable to breath. "Please... let... go..."

Kiyomi quickly lets go, realising what she did.

"Oh no! Hayato-Darling! I'm sorry!" she apologises.

Yuki sighs. "Kiyomi, could you please refrain from doing that around everyone else?"

Upon hearing this, Kiyomi's face turns dark as she stares at Yuki. "You fucking what? What I do with Hayato is none of your concern."

Before things escalate further, I decide to speak up, changing the subject.

"So we've cleared another Class Trial!" I remind everyone. "You think Monokuma will open more of the building to us now?"

"That's a good point. The handsome Monokuma did that last time, so it'd be likely he does it again this time." Monokuma adds, casually sitting at the table with everyone else.

"It's... the creepy bear!" Nagisa screams, pointing at Monokuma.

"It's a social reject!" Monokuma screams, pointing at Nagisa. "See? Names hurt."

"So what exactly brings you here?" Lucas asks.

"Duh. To tell you that I've opened up the third floor of the building." Monokuma remarks. "Go and explore or something."

Then Monokuma leaves as quick as he arrived. With a sigh, I face everyone.

"I guess that means we should go look around."

"Agreed." Kyo replies. "Shall we meet back here in about four hours?"

With that said, everyone began to left to start their exploration. Except Kiyomi. She stuck next to me. To be honest, I'd like to check up on Sakuya right now, but I know how Kiyomi would react. My expression was probably saying a lot, because Kiyomi quickly commented on it.

"What's wrong, Hayato-Darling?" she asks.

"Oh, well... To be honest, I was worried about Sakuya. You know, after what happened yesterday." I reply honestly, without thinking.

"Forget about that bitch. I'm your girlfriend." Kiyomi then presses her face close to mine. "All of your emotions should be focused towards me."

As she says this, I recall the conversation I had about Kiyomi with Sakuya.

"Or will I need to **kill** those who stand in our way after all?" Kiyomi adds, slowly going in for a kiss.

As she says this, I once again recall the conversation. Maybe Sakuya _was_ right. Before Kiyomi gets any closer, I gently push her away.

"Kiyomi. This has got to stop." I tell her. "You can't keep acting like that."

"Like what?" she asks, oblivious to what I'm talking about.

"Acting all crazy like that." I remind her. "It's disturbing and creepy."

"I'm only like this because I love you!" Kiyomi cries out, shoving her face closer to mine. "Nothing wrong with that..."

I push her away again, but this time with slightly more force. "No, there is _plenty_ wrong with that. If you can't calm down, then we can't continue being together."

Kiyomi simply stares at me for a few seconds before speaking again. "Oh, Hayato-Darling. That's not funny. Don't joke about that. I'll **kill** for you if I have to."

"That's the problem!" I yell at her. "I don't want you to do that! And if you can't see that then I'm sorry. But our relationship is over."

Kiyomi once again stares at me. She then walks over to the table and picks up a knife someone left behind.

"So... you're breaking up with me?" she questions.

"Yes."

She stares at me, and points the knife towards me. "Don't you fucking dare break up with me! I've loved you for so long! I'm not going to lose you because some other bitches got into your head!"

"Do you still not get it?" I ask her, remaining calm. " _That_ behaviour is the problem."

"If I can't be with you... I'll kill myself." she mutters. "I'll kill myself!"

She places the knife against her own neck.

"Okay! We can't have that!" Monokuma interrupts. "There's a witness! No fun in that."

"Are you just here to be a bother?" I ask him.

Monokuma shakes his head. "No. Well, maybe. What I'm trying to say is... We can't let her kill herself right now. Consider this a favour to you!"

Monokuma then pulls out a remote and presses a button. A net then randomly falls from the ceiling, catching Kiyomi. Monouma pulls the caught Kiyomi out of the room.

"I'll bring her out of your hair. Now you owe me one." Monokuma teases, before leaving. "I'll collect the favour at the end of the day."

I'm left speechless as I stand in the now empty room, unsure as to what to make of it.

* * *

I knock on Sakuya's door. I hadn't heard from her since she left my room sometime last night. I stand waiting for a while before the door slightly opens. Peeking out from inside is Sakuya.

"Hello?" she asks.

"Sakuya? It's Hayato. I just wanted to check up on you." I greet her.

"Oh, Hayachii. Thanks for the concern, but I'm just going to stay in today." she replies. "I'm... not feeling up to doing anything."

I nod. "That's fine. We're exploring the new areas today, so if you don't join us, I'll update you later. Just remember to eat."

I notice a faint smile coming from inside. "Thanks, Hayachii."

* * *

As I make my way up to the third floor, I notice the bars on both sides of the walls have been lifted. Deciding to start from the left, I begin to explore.

The first room I find appears to be a gallery. Looking around, there appears to be several pieces of artwork hanging up on the wall. Many of them appeared to be famous works of art re-imagined with Monokuma. It's kind of... disturbing. Several other forms of art appeared there too, such as sculptures and models. Mamoru was clearly excited to find a room like this, as he was admiring all of the pieces of art, including the creepy Monokuma ones.

The next room along was a games room. In the room, a pool table was placed in one side. On one of the many tables were a set of cards, and one another was a chess board. Various board games was piled up inside a cupboard. A rack of magazines and comics were placed next to it. I saw Kaede admiring a set of Monokuma figures placed on a shelf. She commented on how great the crafting of the figures were, and how she'd love to add them to her collection. Lucas was looking at a sofa placed in front of a large TV. Connected to it were various game consoles. He told me that he tried turning on the TV, but the only purpose of it would be to play the games, and that none of the consoles could connect to the internet. That's disappointing, but at least there's now some fun activities to play here.

A storage room was the next room. Monokuma showed up and briefly told us that he's in the middle of reorganising this room, and that he has no idea what to do with it. He also told us to take a look around and keep what we want that we find in the boxes. Kyo was looking around thoroughly to find something useful. Yuki was doing the same. Yu meanwhile stood there and watched from a distance, commenting on how dark and messy the room was.

I soon came across the Infirmary. I briefly recalled the time we entered this room early and shuddered. The pain from the injury was gone by now, and I had removed the bandages, but a scar remains. As I look around, I notice various supplies of medicine inside. I don't take that much of a look at them, but it's clear that some of them could be misused, and others... may not be ones we'd need, to say the least. I saw Nagisa awkwardly standing in the corner, muttering something about bad memories of this type of room. I decide to ignore her.

The final room I found was what appeared to be a collection room. Inside were various trophies, figurines, DVDs, costumes and various other things. It seemed to be one of the larger rooms, due to all that was found inside and it felt like it could actually be a museum - although it would probably be called the Monokuma Museum. I saw Naoki excitedly staring at the trophies, photos and items related to sports. He commented on some of the basketball related items, saying about how much they'd cost. I didn't pay much attention to him. Kaede soon entered the room, with her quickly drooling over what she saw. She screamed about how she'd love to add them to her collection. She seemed a little _too_ excited, to be honest.

As I left the hallway, I found myself back by the stairs, with the hallway having looped around to the other side. As I make my way down the stairs, I hear a voice.

"SERIOUSLY! FUCK YOU, AND FUCK THIS GAME!"

Fearing the worst, I run downstairs and find Michiru standing face to face with Monokuma. Michiru had an angry look on her face.

"Upupupu... I don't see any problems here." Monokuma taunts. "Nothing bad has happened to _you_ yet."

"That's not what I mean!" Michiru screams back. "And besides... What's the harm in telling us why we're _really_ here?"

"Duh. Because that ruins the fun." Monokuma laughs, pissing Michiru off even further.

"Michiru! What's going on?" I call out to her.

"Not fucking important!" Michiru shouts her reply back at me before facing the bear again. "You have the nerve to do all of this and you don't even give a shit about how we feel about it?!"

"Upupu... When did I say that?" Monokuma asks. "Or was that just implied? I forget. You're opinions don't really stick well in my mind."

As I see the anger growing in Michiru's face, I realise what she's about to do. I call out to her, but she ignores me, and instead walks over to Monokuma and kicks him across the room.

"HEY! Violence against the headmaster is strictly prohibited!" Monokuma calls out in anger, reminding her. "Now you need to be punished!"

"Oh, what will you do? Give me a detention?" Michiru teases, not taking the threat seriously. She points at the bear with her left hand. "You don't scare me!"

"Activating forbidden weapon: Fafnir's Wrath! Or something like that. I just thought that sounded like a cool name." Monokuma calls out.

As I hear this, I realise what Monokuma is planning to do. Michiru, still pointing at and taunting him, is unaware. Without thinking, I grab Michiru's other arm and pull her back.

"What are you...?" Michiru, still pointing forward, begins to speak as I pull her back.

Before she gets the chance to finish her sentence, a sharp and wide blade shoots down from the ceiling, barely missing Michiru. Judging by the looks of it, if I hadn't moved Michiru out of the way, it would have sliced right through her, killing her instantly. The reality of the situation finally sunk into Michiru at this moment, as her facial expression changed drastically. Monokuma stood there laughing at the scene, pleased with himself. As I look once again at the blade, I notice something red marked on the bottom at one part. The floor is also red. I realised that this was blood. As I look at Michiru, I notice a small stream of blood flowing from her arm. As we both realise what has happened, my face turns into a face of horror. The hand on the arm she was using to point at Monokuma... was missing. I take one last look at her face, before she opens her mouth and screams at the top of her lungs.

Having heard what was going on, Kyo, Yuki and Yu rush down the stairs to investigate.

"Holy... What happened?!" Kyo calls out.

"Upupupu... Someone broke the rules, so they needed to get punished." Monokuma replied. "Death was meant to be her punishment, but I suppose this is good too. If she survives this, then I'll won't punish her further."

As Monokuma leaves, the blade is pulled back up to the ceiling. Left on the floor was a small pool of blood and Michiru's hand. Without giving it much more thought, I quickly remove my hoodie and wrap it around Michiru's arm.

"She needs medical attention NOW!" Yuki shouts, rushing down and helping to secure the makeshift bandage on her arm.

I nod in approval, and lift Michiru up as I prepare to carry her to the Infirmary. Kyo quickly follows.

"Yu. Please let everyone know what has happened." Kyo instructs Yu.

The Musical Conductor nods, before running off towards the other rooms.

* * *

As we arrive in the Infirmary, I gently place Michuri down on one of the beds. Kyo places the wrapped up hand down on a table, as Yuki rushes around to collect bandages. Nagisa, who is still in the room, watches from a distance, freaking out over what's going on.

"Wh-what's... happening?!" the Blogger asks in a panic.

"She attacked Monokuma." I explained. "And she was nearly killed as a result."

Kyo and Yuki, having collected what they need, return to next to Michiru and spread out what they collected. The two gather around her arm.

"Hayato. Please keep an eye on her pulse." Kyo instructs me.

Without hesitation, I stood by Michiru on the other side, and began to read her pulse. While there was still a pulse, it was faint. I quickly told them this.

"There's still a pulse, but it's faint. What do we do?" I asked, slightly in a panic.

"If it's still beating, that's fine for now. Our main concern is stopping the bleeding." Kyo replied. "Just keep checking for a pulse."

What felt like hours passed in this room. Kyo and Yuki were using prior medical knowledge to attempt to stop the bleeding. They had Nagisa bring the necessary tools over to them when needed. I simply sat there, checking for a pulse, and helping to comfort Michiru in the times where she remained conscious. I don't know how long we were in that room for, but we eventually managed to sort everything out. Nagisa retired to her room at that point, not that I blame her - she _was_ dragged into this situation, after all. As the three of us rested, I looked over at Kyo and Yuki.

"How did you guys know what to do?" I asked them.

"It's kind of a long story." Kyo replied. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Let's just say our previous schools payed special attention to teaching different types of things." Yuki added.

After a short rest, Kyo stands back up and heads to the door. "I'll go and update the others on the situation."

As Kyo leaves, I looked at Yuki. "Will she be alright?"

"Should be." Yuki reassured. "But she may need to see a real doctor once we get out of here just to confirm."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that Michiru will most likely survive makes me feel calmer. As I remain resting, I notice Kyo reentering the room. Following him was everyone else, save Sakuya, Nagisa and Kiyomi.

"Michiru-sama!" Naoki cried, tears running down his face. "I should have been there to protect you!"

Ignoring Naoki, I turned to face the others. "What brings everyone here at the same time?"

"It was my suggestion." Yu responded. "It's about the time we are to have the meeting, and considering the situation, I felt like we shouldn't leave Ms Hino alone."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." I replied.

"We couldn't find Kiyomi, however." Mamoru comments. "You have any idea where she may be?"

I recall what had happened earlier and tell everyone about it.

"All things considered, that went well." Kaede comments. "Still, some of us should probably go and find her later."

As with every other time following our investigations, we shared the information on what we found within the newly opened areas. All of the information was pretty much the same as what I had already discovered, but not everyone had the chance to properly explore in detail. When we finished sharing the information, Kyo stepped forward.

"Before we all depart, I have something interesting to share with you all." he speaks, holding up a book. It was the same book as before.

"What's this about?" Kaede asks. "A new book you're reading?"

Kyo nods. "Yes, but it's not just any book. Take a closer look."

He hands the book to Kaede, who reads the front cover aloud. "The Toughest Critic. Best and Worst Recipes around the World. By... Kou Amagi?"

"He wrote a book. So what?" Lucas questioned, not seeing the relevance.

Kyo also held up a note. "Monokuma left this note with the book. Supposedly it's our reward for clearing the trial."

"It gets weirder." I add, recalling when I found the book. "I found it several days back, and Kou told me that he hasn't written a book yet. Monokuma quickly showed up and took the book back. I would have said something sooner, but then everything happened..."

"I doubt he'd do something like that unless it was important..." Mamoru commented.

Kyo nods. "I agree. But I haven't been able to discover anything yet. It's almost like **we're missing something**."

As Kyo says this, I can't help but agree with that point. We are definitely missing something. I briefly recall the dreams I've been having. Could those dreams be related to our situation here? It's too soon to say for certain.

"Damn right we are." Monokuma agrees, barging in on the conversation. "You're missing out on the rules."

"And what are you talking about?" Kyo questions this comment.

"Duh... Rule 3. No sleeping outside of your bedroom!" Monokuma reminds us. "And while that Michiru girl may be unconscious, that's dangerously close to sleeping, if you ask me!"

"What are you implying?" Naoki asks.

"That she can rest here, but it will be counted as breaking the rules if she continues to stay here!" Monokuma exclaims. "As soon as she regains consciousness, then she may no longer rest in this room!"

"That hardly seems fair, considering her current condition." Lucas states.

Monokuma briefly thinks. "I guess you're right, but rules are rules! She's already on thin ice! You should be consider it lucky that I didn't just kill her!"

"But you were going to!" Naoki yells at the bear in anger.

"Upupupupu... Duh, of course I was." Monokuma laughed. "She broke the rules. She deserves the pain she's getting."

"YOU BASTARD!" Naoki screams, running towards Monokuma, preparing to punch him.

"No! Bad student!" Monokuma shouts, pulling out an electric taser and putting it against Naoki's head. "I can't be bothered to deal with any more rule breakers today, so consider that a warning."

Monokuma activates the taser and shocks Naoki for a good five seconds. The shock appeared very painful, but didn't look like it would kill him. When the shocking is done, Naoki falls to the ground, twitching.

"Uh... Did I go too far?" Monokuma questions. "If he's dead, then... No trial."

"He's not dead, just unconscious." Yuki comments, looking at him. "That much is clear."

"Right. Well... Just get them back to their rooms." Monokuma concludes, before leaving the room. I could hear him mutter something under his breath, but I couldn't make out the details.

As Monokuma leaves, Naoki quickly regains consciousness and jumps back to his feet. "Whoa! What the..."

"Naoki! How are you feeling?" I asked him.

"I've been better..." he responds, rubbing his head.

"Anyway, with that knowledge..." Kyo begins. "Someone should probably keep watch over Michiru until she wakes up."

"Why don't you do it, Naoki?" Kaede suggests. "You're always concerned about her, right?"

Naoki looks over at Michiru, then back at us. "No... I shouldn't. I'm not entirely feeling great after that shock. I might just go back to my room to rest."

Upon saying this, Naoki slowly leaves the room, without saying another word. I find it kind of weird that he didn't want to, but considering what just happened, I can kind of understand why.

"I guess I'll watch over her." I volunteered. "I was the one who found her, after all."

Kaede also steps forward. "I'll stay too. It'll make things easier if two of us stay."

"I guess that's sorted." Lucas states. "That means the rest of the day is free for us all."

With that, everyone except for myself and Kaede leaves. As I take a seat near Michiru, Kaede stands there and watches.

"So, Hayato..." she comments. "Were you planning on doing something to her while she was unconscious?"

"N-no!" I quickly respond. "Why would you think that."

"Well, you _were_ quick to volunteer." she comments.

"B-because I was worried about her!" I replied honestly.

Kaede responds by bursting out into laughter.

"Don't worry! I'm just messing with you. I know you're not that kind of person."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "So. Why did you agree to stay behind then? Surely there's a reason behind it."

"Hah. You got me." Kaede admits. "To be honest, I wanted to talk with you about something."

"What about? About adding me to your collection?" I joke.

"I wasn't joking about that. If you're still interested, feel free to stop by my room anytime. I'll make it worth your while." Kaede replies, continuing the joke. "But in all seriousness, does anything seem... off to you?"

"You mean besides the fact that we've been kidnapped by a teddy bear and are being held inside a mansion with the request to kill each other?"

"Fair enough. No, I was talking about since the last trial." Kaede continues. "Sakuya has locked herself away in her room, Michiru's... condition, the whole thing with Kiyomi. Everyone is acting different. Last night I even saw both Kyo and Yuki enter the bath at the same time!"

I stand confused. "I don't really get how any of this is 'off', to be honest..."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But it just feels like... everyone is acting strange. I wonder if there's a good reason behind it..."

As she continues to speak, Kaede begins walking around of the room, appearing lost in her own thoughts. I sigh and look over at Michiru. Her eyes are now open.

"Michiru!" I call out to her. "How are you feeling."

Without saying a word, she slowly sits up, and begins crawling towards me.

"Hey! Should you really be doing that? What about your injury?" I ask her in a panic.

"I... want you to... do me." she comments, breathing heavily.

Before I even get the chance to process this, she proceeds to kiss me. As I remain in shock at this, Michiru then collapses onto the bed.

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Actually had this chapter written for a while now, but had trouble deciding on how to finish the last chapter, so... yeah. Once again, apologies for how late chapters are. Having trouble finding the time to write them recently.


	17. Chapter 3 - Traitorous Secrets - Act 2

**Chapter 3: Traitorous Secrets (Daily Life) - Act 2**

Both myself and Kaede stare at her in confusion.

"Well, that was... uh..." Kaede mutters, attempting to made the situation less awkward. "Not expected."

"Wait. Does that... count as waking up?" I ask, recalling Monokuma's earlier warning.

If Michiru really did regain consciousness, we need to bring her back to a bedroom so she won't get punished further.

"We should get her out of here." Kaede comments. "Let's bring her to her room. Where's she keep her key?"

"Upupu... Do you really have time for that?" I hear a familiar voice mutter.

"Monokuma..." I complain.

"The one and only!" the bear replies. "I suggest you get her out of here. I think she just woke up. Though, er... I'm not entirely sure myself..."

"So what are we supposed to do?" I complain, in a panic.

"Upupupupu... Up to you. I give you about a minute before I apply punishment. Don't waste any time in bringing her to a bedroom."

Deciding I don't have time to find her room key, I opt to instead bring her to my room. Carefully, I pick up Michiru and carry her out of the room, with Kaede quickly following. Monokuma simply watches with enjoyment. I could hear him mutter something about a joke or something, but was unable to make it out.

* * *

Upon arrival in my room, I gently place Michiru down on my bed. Looking at her once more, I can tell she still isn't conscious again.

"You're good with taking care of her from here, right?" Kaede asks. "To be honest, I'd like to go and check out some of these new rooms again."

As she says this, I notice that she's begun to drool. I ignore this and let her leave. It's not like two of us need to watch over Michiru anyway. I take a seat at my desk and recall what just happened in the infirmary. Maybe she was just doing that in her sleep? No... It looked like she was awake. Then maybe she was just delirious? Possibly. Or could she have just been messing with me? I wouldn't put it past her, to be honest. As I thought about this, I heard some groans coming from Michiru. Soon after, I saw her sitting up and look around the room.

"What the..." she commented, confused. "Where am I...?"

"Michiru! You're awake!" I comment, running over to her. "How are you feeling?"

"What are you... Oh. Right." Although confused at first, Michiru quickly remembers what had happened to her. "I'm good, all things considered. Where am I?"

"Oh. I brought you to my room." I told her. "Monokuma told us that you couldn't continue to rest in the infirmary after waking up once, but I didn't know where you kept your room key."

"I see... Wait. I was awake?" she asked, confused by hearing this. "When did I wake up before?"

"Probably about five minutes ago?" I recall.

As she hears this, she faces away from me. "Did I... do anything weird?"

"I suppose you could say that..." I tell her, recalling once again what happened. "You... told me to 'do' you, and then kissed me."

As she heard me say this, her face instantly turned red, and she buried her face into a pillow.

"I'm so sorry." she muttered, her voice muffled slightly by the pillow.

To be honest, I'm surprised she was quick to believe me. I decide to tell her that.

"You were quick to believe me. That a common occurrence?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Michiru lifts her face up. "Kind of... yeah."

"Huh...?" I found myself in shock after hearing this. I quickly begin to re-evaluate my opinion of her.

Michiru stares at me. "Why does it feel like your entire opinion of me has just drastically changed?"

"You're imagining things..." I say, trying to steer the conversation back on topic. "So what do you mean that it's 'kind of' a common occurrence?"

"Well... I..." she sighs. "What if I told you that... I... I have a _very_ high sex drive...?"

As Michiru says this, my opinion of her once again changes drastically.

"Stop looking at me like that..." she says, staring at me. "Look, what I'm saying is... that happened because I haven't had much of a chance to..."

"You don't have to say it..." I stop her before she says anymore. "I get the point. Wait. Does that mean your secret was..."

Michiru nods slowly. "Yeah, _that_ one. It was easy because of my popularity. Even convinced them not never speak a word of it again."

To be honest, I'm surprised as to how many times my opinion of her can change in such a short amount of time.

"Like I said. Quit looking at my like that." she once again tells me. "It's not my fault that I'm always so... you know."

"To be honest, that's surprising to hear." I comment. "Wait. Could the reason that Naoki is so attached to you be that..."

"No! That's not it." Michiru quickly interrupts. "I made a vow to myself to stop abusing my popularity like that after entering Hope's Peak."

"So you admit you abused it before?" I question.

"If I answer that, do you promise to stop looking at me if I'm some kind of pervert?" she asks.

"No promises." I reply quickly.

"Screw you." she replies.

We remain in silence for a few moments. During this time, Michiru looks at her now absent hand.

"Hey, Michiru?" I ask. "Why did you confront Monokuma like that?"

Michiru sits in silence before responding. "It's... got something to do with what we just spoke about."

"As in?" I ask, curious as to what she means.

"Well, I promised myself to stop abusing my popularity for my own sexual desires." she begins. "Meaning, I need to... release my desires some other way. On my own. And I've been doing it _very_ frequently. And then I found out that... Monokuma has been... Well, you know how he's got those cameras everywhere?"

"Y-yeah?" I reply, afraid of what she'll say next.

"I found out he's been... recording everything. Saving the copies. Apparently sharing them..." Michiru finishes, face turning red. "And I got furious when I found out. And... well, you know the rest."

"It... sounds like you could have handled that better." I tell her, unsure as to what I think of that.

"Yeah, probably..." she replies, looking at her bandaged arm. "Hey, Hayato..."

"Yeah?" I ask.

"How do you think this would feel?" she asks, with a perverted smile on her face.

I stare blankly at her. "Huh?"

"I bet it'll feel good still..." she continues. "I'm gonna do it."

"D-do it?" I ask, concerned by what she's thinking.

Without waiting for a response from me, she begins to... Well, just take my word for it, she's doing something inappropriate.

"Uh... Michiru?" I call to her. "Are you seriously okay with doing that here and now?"

"What's... the problem?" she asks, continuing what she's doing. "Oh... I get it. Don't worry about me. Go for it."

"Huh?" I find myself confused by her response.

"Well, if this... gives you the urge to touch yourself, don't worry about me. I don't mind." she responds, believing there to be no issue.

"That's... not what I'm talking about." I tell her, feeling awkward about this whole situation. "Couldn't you do that in your own room?"

"Yeah, I could. But I'm already here." she replies.

With this, I sigh and face away. As I do, I hear a knock on my door. Knowing I shouldn't just ignore it, I slowly open my door to find Monokuma standing outside.

"Heya Hayato!" he greets me. "How'ya doing?"

"Monokuma? Why are you here?" I question the bear's appearance.

"Can't I check up on you every now and then?" he asks.

"No, I mean why did you knock?" I ask. "You'd usually just pop right in without invitation."

"Oh, well if I don't need an invitation." Monokuma walks past me into my room as he says this. "Oh, and Kiyomi's been dealt with. All's good now. You owe me one. Wait, did I already say that?"

As Monokuma enters my room, he stops when he looks at Michiru on my bed. He then quickly turns around and walks out of the room.

"Pardon the intrusion..." he comments, walking off. "Upupupupu..."

"Wait! Monokuma!" I call out to him.

"Yes?" the bear asks, turning around.

"You've been watching us. You knew what was going on this whole time." I remind him. "Is that why you knocked? To do that bit?"

Monokuma nervously looks side to side. "No! Maybe. Yes..."

"Seriously..." I comment.

"Was it good though?" he asks, curious.

"Yeah, sort of." I reply honestly.

"Yes! Totes worth it." Monokuma cheers, walking off.

With a sigh, I turn back into my room. Michiru is now standing up, watching me.

"Is that a regular occurrence?" she questions.

"Unfortunately, yes." I reply with a sigh.

"Well, I'd hate to make things awkward, so I'm going to leave now." Michiru comments, walking over to the door.

I ignore the fact that Michiru believes that wasn't already awkward. "Yeah. Make sure you get some rest."

"Got it." Michiru says, walking out the room. "Oh, and Hayato?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember what I said to you in the infirmary...?" she asks, face red.

"You want me to forget about it?" I ask, trying to read the situation.

"No. I just want you to know that the offer _is_ still open." Michiru replies, facing back towards me.

I respond to this comment by simply closing the door. With another sigh, I sit on my bed. A lot has already happened today. We explored a new area, Michiru got badly wounded, I learned of a strange new side to her that I would have rather not known, and I ended things with Kiyomi. Monokuma did stop by to say things were sorted with her, but I'm still concerned she'll do something bad. No, scratch that. I _know_ she'll do something. Looking at the clock, I notice there's still plenty of time left in the day, so I decide to head out for a bit.

* * *

I found myself sitting in the games room despite being alone. I had loaded up one of the consoles and began playing a game. It was one of those visual novel type games, except you controlled this high school girl as she destroyed these weird robots using what appeared to be a megaphone. It wasn't the best game, but it was fun to play. As I was playing this, Lucas walked into the room. When he saw me, he seemed surprised.

"Gah! Hayato! What are you doing here?" he asked in a panic.

I paused the game and faced him. "Oh, hey Lucas. I was bored so I decided to play this game."

"Oh. That makes sense. I take it Michiru is awake now?"

I nod. "Yeah, she's fine." I recall what happened while she was in my room. "Well, as fine as she can be, anyway..."

"Oh. Well that's good..."

As Lucas replies, he seems to be awkwardly standing around, as if wanting to do something. As he does this, he glances at the TV numerous times.

"You wanna play?" I ask, picking up on it.

"Well... There are some games that I was curious about..." Lucas replies, as if embarrassed to say it. "I never had the luxury of playing many video games back home."

I recalled an earlier conversation with Lucas. "Because of your Tutor?"

"Hm... I suppose that was one of the reasons." Lucas replied, looking through a selection of games. "But the main reason was that my family wouldn't allow me to buy any. It didn't help that our country didn't sell many locally."

"Man, that sounds fun." I say with obvious sarcasm.

"I know, right?" Lucas replies with a chuckle. "There was hardly anything fun to do. Part of me wishes I was never brought into that place..."

He wishes he was never brought into that place? What could he mean by that? I decide to ask.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, curious.

"Hmm? Oh, right. I guess I never really told anyone." Lucas remembers. "To tell you the truth... I was adopted into the Nevermind family. The people who raised me are actually my aunt and uncle."

"Seriously?" I instinctively asked, unsure as to what else I could say.

Lucas nodded, "I feel like that's part of the reason why I was always treated differently. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I had people who cared for me, but... Sorry, I'm rambling again."

I shake my head. "It's all right."

Lucas smiles. "It's so easy to talk to you, you know. I can see why everyone else trusts you so much."

After this, the two of us continued playing games for a while, talking about hobbies and other similar things until the nighttime announcement came on. At that point, the two of us left and returned to our own rooms.

* * *

I'm sat outside round the back of the school eating my lunch, where I usually find myself eating most days. Before I continue eating, I rest my lunch to the side and take out my phone, using it as a mirror. As I look at my reflection, I stare at my hair, which has been dyed blue. Putting my phone away, I sigh.

"I still can't believe she actually did that..." I comment, talking to nobody in particular.

"Someone play a prank on you then?"

I look up, facing the source of the familiar voice. It's the girl who spoke to me the other day. The one who offered to help me forget. The one who Dan told me to stay away from. Remembering Dan's words, part of me questions whether or not I should respond to her. But the other part of me doesn't know if I can take his word seriously with the lack of information.

"Yeah, sort of." I respond. "A dormmate thought it would be funny or something. The worst part is she told me she'd do it, but I didn't believe her."

"Wow, remind me not to get on her bad side."

"Yeah, no kidding."

As I say this, the girl sits next to me.

"So... Hayato, right? You thought about my offer?"

"Uh, I guess I'm not really interested."

"Oh, really? Things suddenly get better over night?"

"Eh, not really much, but... I think I'm going to start trying more in future. Stand up for myself. Find out the reason why I'm here."

"I see... If you ever change your mind, let me know."

With this, the girl stands up and walks away. As I continue to eat, I hear faint voice. This is quickly followed by Dan, jumping down in front of me from above.

"So you didn't take my warning about her?" he asks.

"I think if I'm to take your word on her, then I'm gonna need more details." I reply honestly. "More importantly... Did you just jump out here from the window?"

"That's not important. Why's your hair now blue?"

" _That's_ not important."

"Exactly. That's information that you don't need to know yet. Honestly, I'd rather you not ever know. But if it ever comes down to it, then I will tell you. Just not yet."

"Then what can you tell me?"

Dan stands and thinks for a moment.

"I guess... maybe trust in your friends here."

I chuckle at this comment. "Like who?"

"Well there's me, for starters. Also that girl with the pink hair from yesterday. And what about those dormmates of yours? One of them may have dyed your hair, but they're still friends, right?"

"How did you..."

"I told you. I'm the Ultimate Psychic."

* * *

"Upupupu... Wake up sleepyhead!"

I'm awoken by a familiar sounding voice. Opening my eyes, I see an unwelcoming sight - Monokuma staring directly into my eyes. Dragging myself up out of bed, I stare at him.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Duh. I'm calling in my favour, remember?" the bear reminds me. "In return for me sorting out Kiyomi, you owe me one. Now I'm collecting."

"Oh, yeah. I guess you did say something like that."

"I said something _exactly_ like that! Now follow me!"

Upon saying this, Monokuma leads me out of my room.

* * *

"We have reached our destination!" Monokuma exclaims, coming to a halt. He points to a door. "Go clean that place up."

I take a look at the door. It's a bedroom. To be more specific... Karen's bedroom.

"Wait, what?" I ask, confused by this.

"It's really simple, you see." Monokuma explains, opening the door. "I need you to clean this room up for me. Or to be specific, just... look around and see if you can find anything suspicious, I guess. I'd do it myself, but I don't really want to."

"So... Let you know if I find anything suspicious. That's it?" I confirm, following him into the room.

Monokuma nods. "Exactly. Oh, and if you find anything you wanna keep, just let me know. I'll be watching you, so don't think of slacking off! I'll let you know when you're done."

Upon saying this, Monokuma walks off out of the room. Before leaving sight, he freezes and turns around.

"Oh, Hayakuma. I nearly forgot." he speaks. "She kept her underwear in the top draw. Upupupu..."

I question briefly why he said that, but then remembered that he likes to mess with me, so I just ignore it.

Standing in the room, I wonder what exactly I should be looking for. With no clues, I simply begin looking around the room and in any place I can think of. Honestly, I don't expect to find much different from last time, considering I was only in this room looking around a day ago. Despite this, I still look around, finding nothing in particular that stands out. As I stand there once again questioning this task, I recall Monokuma's words about the underwear being in the top draw. I honestly didn't want to do this, but I decide to look through the draws and cupboards. Everything is as it was left since the last time I entered the room. Finally, my search leads me to the top drawer.

"Forgive me for this, Karen." I speak to myself, reaching for the handle. I open the draw and look inside. As expected, her underwear in inside. A variety of different colours. I stare at it for a bit, amazed by the sight of so many pairs of underwear gathered in the same place. Upon realising what I was doing, I quickly shake my head to snap myself out of the trance and, against my better judgement, begin to search through the draw. At first, I find nothing in particular that stands out. That is, until I find something at the bottom.

Taking hold of this something, I pull it out of the drawer. It's a note.

' _Hey, my dear Karen-chan 3.  
Have I got the scoop for you. Fun fact, Hayato-chama has this totally interesting note in his room. You should go check it out first chance you get. It will help give you the answers you've been looking for.  
Love, Monokuma-chin.'_

I stare at this letter with disgust. Monokuma... actually wrote that? As I remain motionless, I hear a noise coming from behind.

"Upupupu... So you found it, I see."

I turn to face Monokuma. "Judging by that comment, I would imagine you wanted me to find this."

"Duh. I would have just given it to you, but I couldn't be bothered."

I take another look at the letter. "How did those secrets provide any sort of answers?" I question. "Better yet, answers to what."

"Upupupu... Maybe if you look inside the drawer again you'll find out." Monokuma taunts.

Although reluctant at first, I begin looking through the drawer once again, hoping to learn more. As I do, I find something else. Removing it from the drawer, I look at it. It's a photo. A photo of Sakuya. Naked. In the shower. My face turns red as I look away.

"Oh come on, it's not _that_ bad." Monokuma taunts, walking towards me. He also looks at the photo, and steps back in shock. "Whoa! That was _not_ what I was talking about. I honestly didn't even know she had that."

"So this isn't what you were talking about?" I ask, placing the photo down on the desk.

"Of course not! Just keep looking!" Monokuma shouts.

Once again reluctant, I keep searching the drawer. I pull out another photo. It's of Sakuya in her underwear, changing clothes.

"Is this some sort of joke?" I ask, showing Monokuma the photo.

"What the..." Monokuma comments. "Again, not sure why she has that. Move out of the way! _I'll_ get the item you're looking for."

I move aside, allowing Monokuma to look through the drawer. He pulls out another photo, and holds it high.

"Aha! Here it... Oh come on!" he cries. The photo is once again of Sakuya, this time of her sleeping. "Just how many of these does she have?!"

"How should I know?" I question. "Are you sure you're not just intending on showing me these?"

"No, I'm... That's it! We are gonna thoroughly search this room and find that thing!" Monokuma exclaims.

* * *

Roughly an hour later, both myself and Monokuma are resting on the floor. Next to us is a large pile of photos, all of Sakuya. Some explicit, some not.

"For the love of... Just how many of those does she even have?" Monokuma questions.

I sigh. "Are you sure this thing is even in here?"

"Oh, yeah. I actually found it, like, twenty photos ago."

I stare at the bear. "Why didn't you say so?!"

"I was curious as to how many of those photos she actually had. Anyway, here." Monokuma hands me another photo.

I take the photo and look at it. It appears to be of... Karen, Kaede and Lucas. All three are wearing the same uniform, and appear to be having a good time. On the back of the photo, a message is written. _'Beware of the Gourmet and friends. They know the truth. Confront their secrets. -Honda'_

Honda? Isn't that the name of the Ultimate Psychic? I look back at the photo. Honestly, the photo and message don't relate at a glance. I question what this means.

"Upupupu... Keep the photo and note. Do what you want with them." Monokuma comments. "I'm off."

As Monokuma begins to walk off, I notice he's holding the photos of Sakuya in hand.

"What are you doing with those?" I ask, suspicious of how casual he was leaving with them.

"Oh dang, you caught me!" Monokuam admits. "I was gonna have a good time with these, if you know what I mean? Upupupu. I'm excited just looking at them."

"Gross." I comment. I don't even want to imagine Monokuma doing anything like that.

"Oh, I get it. Don't worry about it. I'll bring them to you late so you can enjoy them too." Monokuma offers. "Ain't I a great guy? Upupupu..."

Sometimes, I question whether or not Monokuma is genuinely being serious or if he just likes messing with me.

* * *

I wake up with the morning announcement. With a sigh, I drag myself out of bed and head downstairs to meet up with everyone. After waiting some time, almost everyone has arrived. The exception being... Sakuya, Kiyomi, Michiru and Naoki.

"I wonder if this is everyone who's going to show up today..." I comment, looking around.

"Yes, it's possible." Kyo responds. "Sakuya is most likely still locked away inside her room. Odds are Naoki and Michiru may still be recovering from yesterday. As for Kiyomi... I haven't seen her at all since our initial meeting yesterday."

"That would make sense." Yuki comments. "Michiru definitely seemed out of it yesterday. I ended up having to change her bandages several times. She kept getting them wet from washing her hands... er... hand after using the toilet. She definitely needs time to recover."

Yeah, that probably wasn't wet from tap water, just saying. As we all sit in the kitchen and eat our prepared breakfasts, we hear a noise coming from outside. To be more specific, from the hallway. It sounds like... crashing? Moments later, Monokuma calmly strolls into the room.

"G'morining all! What are we eating today?"

"Cut the crap. What just happened?" Lucas asks, glaring daggers at the bear.

"Oh? You think that was me? Upupupu... Too bad! That's someone else." the bear laughs, taking bits of food from everyone.

"Okay, then shouldn't you do something?" Mamoru questions. "Someone could be breaking the rules."

"Hm? Oh, no. It's all good. She's just trying to break into the top floor. She can't. I know she can't."

"Who is?" I ask

"Upupu... Go and find out. But I'm only gonna allow one person to go. Because of plot. Hayato, since you asked so kindly, it can be you."

"Wait, what do you mean 'plot'?" Yuki questions.

"Gotta keep things interesting." Monokuma replies. He then faces me. "Go ahead and check. I insist."

With nothing left to do, I do as Monokuma says and head up to the top floor.

* * *

As I reach the top floor, I notice a girl with long brown hair standing in front of a gate. The girl is wearing white boyshorts and a black vest - honestly, it looks like she might still be in her pyjamas. As I look at her, I notice her raise her leg and begin to kick the gate in anger. After a few seconds, she stops and sighs.

"Damn it." she comments, turning around and beginning to walk in my direction. When she notices me, she freezes and stares at me. "Oh... So you must have heard that."

As she says this, I simply stare at her face. The girl both does and doesn't look familiar.

"Hayachii? You okay?" she asks, picking up on the fact that I'm staring. As she asks this, I realise who it is.

"Sakuya? You look... different."

"Oh. Yeah. Figured I'd try a new look."

We both stand in silence for a few moments, however time seems to drag on. Ultimately, I speak up.

"So... What are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Trying to break into this room. What else?"

"I can see that, but why?"

Sakuya sighs. "Because I'm fucking sick of this place. With how things are opening up, I'd wager that the Mastermind behind this is somewhere on this floor. So when I find him... I'll fucking kill him..."

As she begins to speak, tears begin to form in Sakuya's eyes. I recall what happened to Karen. No doubt that's all she's been thinking about since then.

"Nevermind that." she speaks up, wiping her tears away. "I'm heading back to my room."

As Sakuya walks off, I call out to her. "Wait! Sakuya! The others are all in the dining room. A lot happened yesterday, so maybe you'd like to hear about it?"

Sakuya shows a faint smile. "Thanks, Hayachii. But no. I'm not ready to face the others yet. See ya."

As I watch Sakuya walk off, I recall everything that's happened over the past few days. What's really going on here? And when we inevitably receive the next motive, what will happen?

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

AN: That took longer to write than anticipated. I'll begin work on the next chapter in a bit. Hopefully there won't be as much of a gap between chapters this time. XD


	18. Important Update

Author's Update:

Hey guys, it's been a while. Sorry for the lack of updates, I just really have had no idea where to go with this. So with that I have good news and bad news.

THE BAD NEWS - I will be putting this on a permanent hiatus, effectively cancelling this fan fiction. HOWEVER...

THE GOOD NEWS - I have already started a 'reboot' of this story. Under a similar title, the premise will be the same and many of the characters will remain, but I actually know where I'm going with the story! Yay! First chapter is already out, so if you're interested, go check it out! Link should be on my page. :)


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